Would you ever be a scab?

Is it a pejorative? It was just always the term I've heard used, as someone who fills in for a striking worker. No insult intended or meant.

Would you prefer "eschar"?

Seriously, though, I did not mean insult. I honestly didn't know 'scab' was considered an insulting term.

Very unlikely. They're probably lobbying for the very same work related issues that we've all encountered at one time or another, so I would not disrespect them by crossing the picket line.

Besides, at $46/hr, it almost sounds like a bribe.

Solidarity over money!

Besides, at $46/hr, it almost sounds like a bribe.

See, I thought the opposite. For a travel nursing position, it seemed an awfully low wage to cross a picket line.

Why do you use the pejorative term? What is wrong with calling them something that does not connotate a negative opinion of the worker? Lots of out of work nurses do this sort of work because they can't get a regular job. I doubt they appreciate being called names because they need to work to support themselves and their families. Just a thought.

The way union folks feel a out them, that's pretty

much as mild a term as we could use. The willingness to stand with the bosses against your fellow workers is part of the reason for the enormous shift in income and wealth this country has experienced in the last 30 or so years. Only when workers learn to stand together will they stop pushing us down.

I could never cross a picket (sp?) line. Dad was union. 'course I'm probably the odd man out here in Texas....

No, I don't cross picket lines.

the strike breakers would be selling themselves cheaply for that amount of pay , even cheaper than Judas .

Frankly if you can't handle being called a scab , don't betray your fellow nurses by crossing a picket line . They considered long and hard before voting to strike , NO nurse enjoys going on strike .

While I would not cross a picket line, I believe that as a nursing profession we have to realize that there will be people who will HAVE to cross it to care for the sick people. Here is an example: Small town hospital, closest "trauma" facility is 1hr+ away, a good 35 min helicopter ride even if it isn't storming (daily occurance here). So if my mom is having a heart attack, the ambulance is going to take her to the local hospital to get stable. Which is still a good 20 min away. So, if that hospital is shut down because nurses are striking, mom will have to be transported a good hour to hour and half away to be seen. Will she make it? Alive with no lasting damage? At least my local hospital can get her started and stable to transport.

So while I am a nurse and I would choose to not cross a picket line, the reason I went into nursing is because of my patients. If I work at a union hospital, and we go on strike, I will have to assume that there will be "scabs" who will come and take care of my patients for me because they still need care no matter what nurses do or say. The hospitals may cancel elective surgeries but they will NOT be able to shut their doors and we shouldn't expect them to. I'm not saying that it is right or wrong, I'm just saying that it is. People need care, they need nurses to care for them, there is no way around it and hospitals have to pay out the a** for strike workers so that is their incentive to prevent the strike. I just think that anyone who has to cross the strike lines should still be treated with respect, they may not be doing this because they want to, maybe they need the money or maybe they just realize that those patients need help too. Please treat them as the professionals they are, they went to school just like you, have bills to pay just like you and they are probably on your side in your issues. Show some compassion for the patients and don't take it out on those who are there to help your patients get better.