Many of Hawaii's nurses can't afford to strike, but we are doing it anyway
because we believe changes need to be made. However, the imported mainland
scab nurses - specifically hired to undermine local nurses - are contemptible
because they only want money. They make as much as three times what Hawaii
nurses make, and do they even care why we're striking? Some patients have to
sit longer in their own filth, or go a couple of days without a bath while
nurses are forced to concentrate their attention on saving higher acuity
patients, a concept that is not understood by the businessmen who run these
hospitals. These businessmen have to learn that a patient is not a number,
and a diagnosis does not guarantee an outcome. Hawaii nurses care about
improving patient care and working conditions because this is our home, and
our friends and families may one day require these services. The things these
imported mainland scab nurses care about are their huge paychecks and their
free vacation.
I am one of the many nurses walking a picket line. I have become quite
disillusioned to find that my place of employment for the last 12 years does
not agree that I should be compensated for in my retirement years. Kuakini
hospital was initially a Japanese retirement home for men who had lost their
wives and could not care for themselves as a result. The medical center is
losing sight of its mission to take care of all who cross its doors,
including its employees. Kuakini has the highest fall ratio of patients in
the state. This is the result of not having enough nurses caring for
patients. Instead, Kuakini wants to blame the nurses for the falls by saying
we call in sick too much and that there is enough staff. It's hard to believe
that supposedly intelligent people running this facility actually believe
that they can run nurses 16-plus hours a shift, sometimes daily, to make up
for the lack of nurses; and not expect nurses to get sick or tired. ...
It is important that the community and our patients know that the registered
nurses are not on strike for the money. A very good wage increase was offered
but there are even more important issues at stake, those being safe patient
care, retention of nurses and professionalism. Nurses are striking because
they have too much mandatory overtime, they are injured on the job due to
poor staffing, and because of poor staffing our patients are denied the care
they need. It is upsetting that the hospitals are bringing in replacement
nurses. We are often told that the hospital is in bad times because of
Medicare/Medicaid reimbursements and that there is no money to fund projects
or increase staff. Where does the money come from to bring replacement nurses
here and pay their high wages? ...
Having come to within 18 months of retiring from corporate life and making my
home on the Big Island, I faithfully read portions of Hawaii's online news. I
have been following with interest the nurses' labor strike. The demeaning,
demoralizing garbage that nurses have to put up with from various medical
administrative groups is only a symptom of the real problem. I am speaking of
"managed medicine." For the life of me I do not understand why the Americans
let themselves be duped into believing that pencil pushers could manage
health care better than trained health professionals. Until the American
people demand the end of managed medicine, there will be more of the same to
look forward to in the health-care arena. ... Managed care does not work.
It has been said that nurses are the backbone of any hospital. Nursing is the
only discipline that has someone at the patient's bedside 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. Queen's Medical Center management says it's "business as
usual" with replacement nurses taking care of our patients. Being away from
my patients, it hurts to know how truly expendable the nurses are at Queen's.
...
We, the Kuakini registered nurses, wish to extend a heartfelt mahalo to
everyone who has shown us support since the strike began on Dec. 2. From the
smallest wave and smile to the trunk full of water and ice, we can't begin to
say how much it is appreciated. To the neighbors who have given up their
garages and lawns, to those who drop off gifts, food and support, you help us
to know that we are an important part of your community. ...
Nurses claim their concern is "mandatory overtime," causing some nurses to
work 16-hour shifts which adversely affect patient care. The correlation
between long hours and medical mistakes is indicated as the reason to reduce
hours. Are the nurses concerned with the hours of all patient caregivers?
Most resident doctors work in excess of 110 hours a week, sometimes for
40-plus hours straight with no sleep. This has been going on for decades.
These doctors do not have the benefit of a union to assist them. ...
One of the issues that has been on the bargaining table of the nurses strike
concerns the retirement medical benefits of nurses employed by the "big five"
hospitals. As a critical care registered nurse of six years at St. Francis
Medical Center, I believe I am qualified to present the nurses' perspective.
Nurses have one of the highest rates of back injuries of any occupational
field, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Twelve
percent of the profession leave the field each year due to back injuries; 52
percent complain of chronic back pain. ... Female nurses have the highest
rate of lupus, a devastating autoimmune disease of which little is known
about the cause. There is speculation that the hospital environment, with its
combination of multiple drugs inhaled and absorbed through the skin, may be a
contributing factor. The hospital environment also is a toxic cesspool. We
are surrounded by a dizzying array of powerful products designed to clean and
sterilize. Toxic chemotherapy drugs, low- and high-dose radiation and
exposure to antibiotic-resistant strains of blood-borne pathogens are some of
the daily health risks nurses are exposed to. Then there is the continual
exposure of infectious blood, sputum, urine, stool and vomit. The incidence
of bacteria is sky high in the hospital. So why is it that the water faucets
automatically turn on and the toilets automatically flush when I go to the
movies, but not when I'm at the hospital? Hawaii leads the United States in
tuberculosis cases. ... I wonder why there is a nursing shortage?
Officials from Kuakini Medical Center and the union representing its striking
nurses will return to the bargaining table Jan. 6. Kuakini spokeswoman Donda
Spiker said the meeting, which begins at 10 am at a location yet to be
determined, was called by the federal mediator. The union had yet to be
notified late yesterday afternoon of the scheduled talks but a spokesman for
Hawaii Nurses Association said they are hopeful an agreement can be reached
this time. ...
After reading the letter to the editor "Nurses shouldn't block hospital
entrance" (Star-Bulletin Dec. 29) I felt the need to respond. The title alone
caused my blood pressure to go up. Where does the letter writer think they
should picket? I may not always agree with the reason for striking but I will
always defend their right to picket. This is America and that is their right.
...
Negotiations between the union representing striking nurses and The Queen's
Medical Center continued for 18 hours before breaking off around 4 am today
without an agreement. St. Francis Medical Center also returned to the
bargaining table today. Talks between the nurses and the hospital, which were
called by a federal mediator, began at 10:30 this morning. The two sides have
not met since the strike began five weeks ago. Major sticking points between
St. Francis and its 340 nurses include salary, safe staffing levels and
mandatory overtime, said Hawaii Nurses Association spokesman Scott Foster.
During last night's negotiations between Queen's and the union, a number of
proposals from both sides crossed the table, and the talks appeared to have
made some progress toward finding middle ground. ...
Although striking nurses may believe they have legitimate concerns, the way
they are trying to resolve them is not in the best interest of those they
serve. Unlike striking truck drivers, dock workers or airline pilots, their
actions have caused harm and suffering. To top it off, they try to keep other
nurses from taking care of the patients they deserted. ...
In October I was in a near fatal car accident at Maile Point. I was taken to
The Queen's Medical Center and stayed there for four days. Most of what
happened to me is still cloudy, but what I do recall were the nurses. They
were hard-working, dedicated and very kind. Of course, when staying in a
hospital, one becomes somewhat selfish. ...
Nurses and St. Francis break off negotiations
No new discussions have been scheduled in the 5-week-old walkout
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/04/news/story2.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 4, 2003
Negotiators from St. Francis Medical Center and the Hawaii Nurses Association
met for the first time in five weeks yesterday, but the talks broke off after
nearly 12 hours. ... Talks between the union, which represents 340 St.
Francis nurses, and the hospital were called by a federal mediator. ... No
new talks are scheduled. ...
Negotiations resumed at 10 am today between Kuakini Medical Center and the
union representing the facility's 210 striking nurses. Talks between St.
Francis Medical Center and the union broke off Friday after about 11 hours
with little progress toward an agreement. Despite a marathon 18-hour
bargaining session between union negotiators and Queen's Medical Center on
Thursday, talks between the two sides ended about 4 am. Although both sides
said some progress was made, no new talks are scheduled. But the Hawaii
Nurses Association's chief negotiator for Queen's, Caroldean Kahue, contacted
the federal mediator this morning to see if the hospital intends to return to
the bargaining table, said HNA spokesman Scott Foster. ...
Kuakini Medical Center and the union representing striking nurses reached a
tentative settlement this morning ... The settlement still needs to be
ratified by the 210 nurses, who will likely vote on Thursday or Friday, union
negotiator Kerry Lineham said. Major points in the settlement include a 20
percent salary increase over the three-year contract, and stronger language
addressing the elimination of mandatory overtime and when the hospital would
turn to an outside staffing agency to fill vacant positions. The deal also
changes the hospital's plan to eliminate the 36/48-hour two-week work period.
The plan would leave the 36 hours in place for the first week and cut the
second week to 40 hours, thereby eliminating the need for overtime in the
second week. ...
0109/ap_on_re_us/hawaii_nurses_1>
Matt Sedensky, Associated Press, January 8, 2003
Honolulu - Six weeks into a nurses' strike at the state's largest hospital,
union leaders Wednesday tentatively accepted a contract offer, though its
prospects are uncertain because dissent remains high among the rank-and-file.
In the deal, union leaders for The Queen's Medical Center nurses accepted
major concessions on vacations and other time off that they had fought
throughout negotiations. The pact includes a 21 percent pay increase over
three years, retiree benefits and some restrictions on mandatory overtime -
all victories for the roughly 800 nurses. But the compromise on time off -
that nurses must sometimes use vacation days when they are sick - is hotly
contested by nurses, who say it punishes them for catching illnesses from
patients. Many say it could keep the contract from being ratified. ...
Queen's, nurses reach deal
Some nurses say they are unhappy with the agreement so its ratification is
not certain
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/08/news/story1.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 8, 2003
Queen's Medical Center and nurses reached a tentative agreement this morning,
but it is by no means certain that striking nurses will ratify the new offer.
... Details of the proposed contract include a 21 percent salary increase
over three years, additional compensation for long-term nurse employees at
five, 10 and 15 years of employment, language that would ensure the hospital
calls for volunteers or uses staff from an outside nursing agency before
resorting to mandatory overtime and a subsidy for retiree medical benefits.
...
Nurses reaction mixed to tentative deal with Queen's
The contract enacts a 21 percent raise and a paid time-off program
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/09/news/story2.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 9, 2003
Striking nurses outside the Queen's Medical Center gave mixed reviews to a
tentative deal between the union and the hospital as details made their way
along the picket line yesterday. The two sides reached a deal early
yesterday, with the Hawaii Nurses Association conceding on one of its primary
issues. The three-year pact would provide a 21 percent raise but would enact
a paid time-off program - which nurses adamantly opposed. Nurses on the
picket line in front of Queen's yesterday afternoon said they were relieved
that an agreement had been reached. But most also said they were not sure
they would vote to ratify it. ...
Kuakini nurses cast votes today
The hospital and union spent over 20 hours negotiating return-to-work plan
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/10/business/story2.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 10, 2003
Kuakini Medical Center's 210 nurses will vote today on whether to ratify
their new contract. Nurses will vote between 8 am and 6 pm at the Laborer's
International Union headquarters on Palama Street. The vote comes after the
union met for more than 20 hours with hospital officials to hammer out
details of returning striking nurses to work. ... Hawaii Nurses Association
negotiators at the meeting complained the hospital tried to make additional
changes to staffing assignments by closing some units permanently that had
been consolidated into other areas of the hospital when the strike first
began. ...
Striking nurses from Kuakini Medical Center voted overwhelmingly in favor of
approving their new contract yesterday. ... Kerry Lineham, a negotiator for
the Hawaii Nurses Association, said 191 of 204 eligible nurses voted. The
union did not release the breakdown of the vote. "We're happy that it's
ratified and now comes the job of making sure it's enforced and safe staffing
returns to Kuakini," Lineham said. "I'm just relieved," said 30-year nurse,
Elizabeth Gamiao, who voted earlier in the afternoon. The six-week strike was
the third in Gamiao's career. ...
The Hawaii Nurses Association has scheduled a Thursday ratification vote for
the tentative contract agreement with the Queen's Medical Center. Queen's and
HNA reached a settlement last week after a month-long strike and sometimes
public disputes over mandatory overtime and nurse fatigue. HNA said Monday
that negotiations over a return-to-work agreement would begin Tuesday, and
that the ratification vote would be held Thursday ...
St. Francis nurses issue ultimatum
Many strikers will quit for good unless the hospital resumes talks
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/14/news/story2.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 14, 2003
More than 100 striking nurses from St. Francis Medical Center say they will
begin leaving their jobs next week if the hospital does not return to the
negotiating table and bargain in good faith. About 340 registered nurses from
St. Francis have been on strike since Dec. 2. At a news conference this
morning, union negotiators said the nurses don't believe the hospital is
serious about returning to the bargaining table. The meeting was attended by
about 40 striking St. Francis nurses. ...
St. Francis and nurses will restart negotiations
A federal mediator has scheduled new talks for 9 am tomorrow
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/15/business/story2.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 15, 2003
Officials from St. Francis Medical Center say they are ready to return to the
bargaining table with the union representing the organization's striking
nurses. ... The two sides have met only once, on Jan. 3, since the strike
began Dec. 2. St. Francis spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett said the hospital
received a call from the federal mediator yesterday requesting a return to
negotiations. St. Francis Chief Executive Officer Sister Beatrice Tom said in
a press release yesterday that she is "eager to begin the healing process of
uniting nurses with the rest of the staff so the organization can fully
resume its mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to the
community." Meanwhile, at least 100 of the striking St. Francis nurses were
preparing to quit their jobs, according to Hawaii Nurses Association
negotiators. ...
Not only are 340 nurses still on strike against St. Francis Medical Center,
but many of them are now threatening an even more serious action: quitting
permanently. The Hawaii Nurses Association told a Tuesday news conference
that about a third of the St. Francis nurses are so fed up with the lack of
negotiations that they are looking for other work and will start resigning
next week if the hospital does not resume bargaining. Dozens of nurses
attended the news conference. ...
Striking nurses from Queen's Medical Center are voting today on whether to
ratify a tentative contract. If the contract is approved, the nurses could
return to work by Jan. 24. ... Union negotiators and officials from Queen's
approved a back-to-work agreement on Tuesday. Under terms of the agreement,
nurses will not lose seniority for time lost due to the strike. They will
also not be required to work with replacement nurses flown in by the hospital
during the strike. ...
St. Francis Medical Center announced Thursday it has presented the Hawaii
Nurses Association with a proposal that offers "major concessions" in
comparison to its Jan. 3 proposal, the last time striking nurses and
management met for negotiations. The move comes just days after many of the
340 nurses still on strike against the center threatened to quit if the
hospital did not resume bargaining. St. Francis said in a press release late
Thursday that the hospital's most recent proposal includes a three-year
contract, a separate retiree medical plan for union members, increased
employer contributions for health insurance and the elimination of four
care-manager positions. ...
Nurses strike ending
St. Francis: The nurses union and the hospital reach a tentative deal that
includes an 18% salary boost over three years
Queen's: A union official says 686 of the 700 eligible nurses took part and
voted about 2-to-1 in favor of the new three-year deal
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/17/news/story1.html>
Lyn Danninger, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 17, 2003
The seven-week-old nurses strike may be coming to a close. Hours after
striking nurses from Queen's Medical Center voted to ratify their new
three-year contract last night, union negotiators and St. Francis officials
reached a tentative agreement. The tentative settlement includes an
18-percent salary increase over three years; with 4 percent the first year,
followed by 6 percent the second year and 8 percent the third year. St.
Francis also agreed to establish a retiree medical plan. ...
Nurses at The Queen's Medical Center voted to ratify an agreement Thursday,
ending a 45-day strike at the hospital over "safe" staffing, mandatory
overtime and paid time off, major sticking points in negotiations. The nurses
narrowly approved the settlement, reached last week by management and the
Hawaii Nurses Association, said an HNA spokesman. About 800 Queen's nurses
went on strike Dec.2, joining nearly 600 nurses at Kuakini Medical Center and
St. Francis Medical Center, who began striking Dec. 1. Meanwhile, St. Francis
and its nurses met with a federal mediator earlier in the day, and management
announced a proposal that offers "major concessions" in comparison to its
Jan. 3 proposal, the last time the two sides met for negotiations. The move
comes just days after many of the 340 nurses still on strike against the
center threatened to quit if the hospital did not resume bargaining. ...
A tentative contract agreement has been reached between the Hawaii Nurses
Association and St. Francis Liliha Hospital, ending the last of the strikes
that began in December against five big Hawaii hospitals. "After an often
frustrating and prolonged strike at St. Francis Liliha Hospital, Thursday
night the tenor of the negotiations changed dramatically as the hospital
moved off of its earlier insistence of inadequate contract terms to finally
offer a competitive tentative agreement package that striking St. Francis
nurses are pleased to support," the union said in a statement Friday morning.
The union said the settlement respects St. Francis's precarious financial
situation while still addressing the staffing issues the nurses had raised.
"I applaud St. Francis management for finally listening to their nurses,"
said Vince Noren, who chaired the union bargaining team in the St. Francis
negotiations. A return-to-work agreement was to be negotiated in a meeting
Friday afternoon at the Hawaii Employers Council. ...
Officials from St. Francis Medical Center and the nurses' union began
return-to-work discussions yesterday after reaching a tentative contract
agreement Thursday night. The meeting began at 1:30 pm and was still going
late yesterday evening, but an agreement was expected. "We should have
something later tonight," said Hawaii Nurses Association spokesman Scott
Foster. Nurses on the picket line at St. Francis Medical Center yesterday
said they were relieved an agreement was reached. "I'm happy and amazed to
have a three-year contract, which was really important to us," said Lorraine
Hinaga. ...
Garage sales to help nurses get the word out
The money raised will be used for public-relations efforts
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/19/news/story6.html>
Leila Fujimori, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 19, 2003
As nurses at St. Francis Medical Center vote today on a tentative agreement
to end their seven-week strike, other nurses are preparing to raise public
awareness about the nursing profession. Nurses yesterday held a garage sale
to raise money for a public-relations effort to get their side of the story
out. The nurses say they were not as successful as the hospitals during the
strike in getting their message out. "I feel we didn't get the kind of
support that we wanted," said Robin Tanner, a clinical hemodialysis expert at
Queen's Medical Center. "Although we got great support, when we wanted to do
petitions and went to business people, they didn't understand what the strike
was about or what we were about." The nurses said they went on strike
primarily because of issues regarding paid time off, safe staffing, mandatory
overtime and retirement benefits. "It doesn't matter how much they pay you if
you don't have quality of life," said Susan Carvalho, a Queen's nurse and a
single parent. The garage sale, featuring donated items ranging from a
surfboard to jewelry, housewares, toys and clothes, was held at the NCR
Building, a vacant building at 720 Kapiolani Blvd. owned by Unity House. They
made $1,300 the previous Saturday and $1,111.18 yesterday. The nurses are
planning to use the money for a nurses' newsletter to strengthen themselves
and to promote understanding about the profession through ads, mass mailings
and other means. Barbara Kirk, a former nurse practitioner now a social
worker, came up with the idea during the strike to form a nonprofit
organization, Friends of Hawaii's Professional Nurses, but it lacked the
money to buy even a small newspaper ad. Tanner said the group will remain
independent from the Hawaii Nurses Association, but will work with the union.
...
A quick solution to the nurses' shortage would be allowing licensed practical
nurses with more than three years of experience to take the RN state board
exam. You will be surprised by the number of LPNs who can pass this exam. On
the mainland, many nonprofit county hospitals train LPNs to do the same jobs
as nurses at the large city hospitals. They realize that it will be more cost
effective to pay a LPN than a RN. Perhaps someday a nonprofit county hospital
in Hawaii will be dedicated to providing quality affordable hospital care for
lower-income families the same way they have been doing for decades on the
mainland.
More than 300 nurses at St. Francis Medical Center Liliha have ratified their
contract settlement, the Hawaii Nurses Association said late Sunday night.
The union described the margin of approval as "overwhelming." The new
contract provides nurses 18 percent wage increases over three years, with the
largest hikes in the first year, while also establishing access to retiree
medical insurance with the nurses paying all of the premiums. The agreement
preserves staffing numbers, and adds documentation on both voluntary and
mandatory overtime utilization. St. Francis, a smaller hospital that held out
longer than other hospitals that took strikes because of its funding
limitations, settled when several of its nurses began to resign outright to
take jobs at other hospitals. ...
Now that the last labor contract has been ratified, three O'ahu hospitals and
the 1,400 nurses who walked off the job seven weeks ago face a potentially
emotional return to work. Nurses at St. Francis Medical Center ratified a
contract last night that will give them an 18 percent raise over three years.
The St. Francis nurses were the last to settle a labor dispute that began
when they, and nurses at Kuakini Medical Center, went on strike Dec. 2.
Nurses at The Queen's Medical Center walked off their jobs the next day. At
St. Francis, some nurses in hospice or home care will return Thursday. But
most of those assigned to their first shifts will be asked to report Friday
after the last of the 30 replacement nurses leaves at 6:30 am, said hospital
spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett. Not all of the 330 nurses will return until
patient levels rise at St. Francis, which had closed one wing during the
strike, Jarrett said. Before they can return, all nurses must take a
reorientation class, as well as a class similar to an anger management class,
she said. ...
Nurses approve hospital contract
The seven-week strike ends at St. Francis with both sides happy
<http://starbulletin.com/2003/01/20/news/index2.html>
Sally Apgar, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, January 20, 2003
The nurses of St. Francis Medical Center overwhelmingly ratified a new
contract last night, finally ending a seven-week strike that at its height
affected three major hospitals and almost 1,400 nurses. Sue Scheider,
collective bargaining director for the Hawaii Nurses Association, said,
"While we achieved long-overdue major improvements to wages and benefits
needed to keep sufficient, experienced nurses providing care to Hawaii's
patients, we also accomplished additional safeguards addressing patient
safety and professional nursing practice." ... It was not immediately clear
last night how soon nurses would return to work. Return dates will be given
to nurses as the hospital gears back up to full operation. ...
Honolulu - A bill that would prohibit hospitals from enforcing mandatory
overtime for nurses was revised by a House committee yesterday to instead
require that nurses work no more than 16 hours at a time and get at least
eight hours off between shifts. The measure taken up by the House Health
Committee passed by an 8-0 vote, with two members absent, following more than
90 minutes of testimony from nurses and hospital management. "It (mandatory
overtime) should be an item that management and labor should be able to agree
upon - that would be our preferred avenue in terms of settling these kinds of
differences," said Rep. Dennis Arakaki, the committee chairman. "The concern
of the health committee is on patient safety and that's what our focus will
be." Mandatory overtime and its effect on employee and patient safety was
among the sticking points in contract negotiations that led to strikes at
three Hawaii hospitals. The strikes at Queen's, St. Francis and Kuakini
medical centers each lasted more than a month before agreements were reached
earlier this month. "I'm very disappointed, but I am glad the committee
passed it out and hopefully we can continue to work on the bill," said Sharyn
Stephani Monet, director of education and practice for the Hawaii Nurses
Association union. "The hospitals say they don't use it (mandatory overtime)
except in emergencies, but in fact what seems to be happening is it's being
used to cover routine shortages." Hospital officials testified against the
measure, saying recently negotiated contracts already address the issue of
mandatory overtime, adding that the unpredictable nature of health care often
dictates staffing levels. Rich Meiers, president of the Healthcare
Association of Hawaii, which represents the health care industry, said he was
pleased that the discussion on mandatory overtime was moving forward with the
committee's passage of the revised bill. ...
Pennsylvania:
Hospital threatens lockout
As 450 nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital consider a two-day walkout,
their employer plans for replacements.
<http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/4974911.htm>
M. Paul Jackson, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, January 18, 2003
Wilkes-Barre - If registered nurses move forward with a Jan. 27 strike
threat, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital officials have threatened to lock the
nurses out of the hospital for more than a week. Go ahead and try, say the
nurses, promising to look for jobs elsewhere during a lockout. Sandra
Solovey, president of the Wyoming Valley Nurses Association, said some
registered nurses have found jobs in the southern part of the state. "There
is a nursing shortage," Solovey said. "I can have a job tomorrow." Contract
negotiations between the Wyoming Valley Health Care System, which operates
the hospital, and the Professional Association of Staff Nurses and Allied
Professionals have worsened, with both sides claiming improper negotiating
tactics by the other. On Thursday, the nurses announced they will strike for
two days beginning Jan. 27, the day after their union contract ends. The
system employs nearly 450 registered nurses. In response, the system said it
has contract with an agency to staff the hospital with temporary workers. ...
Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Nurses are on the picket line. The strike
started at 7 am Thursday morning and although the nurses only planned to
strike for two days they will be locked out for an additional eight. Thursday
communication between hospital officials and the nurses union continued to be
very little. The two main issues at hand - improved staffing and elimination
of manditory overtime. Wilkes-Barre General Hospital nurses usually change
shifts at seven in the morning. However Thursday some walked out to the
picket line. While those scheduled to work never made it through the front
door. Nurse Suzanne Katra says, "We are out here to show them we are tired of
being taken advantage of and we won't stand for it any more." While 440
nurses are on strike, about 178 replacements have been called in from all
over the country. ...
5154&rfi=6>
Elizabeth Skrapits, Citizens' Voice, February 3, 2003
Scranton Central Labor Council members join the nurses. Representatives of
unions in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties joined Wilkes-Barre General
Hospital nurses on their picket line Sunday in a show of solidarity. The
nurses, members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied
Professionals, held a two-day strike Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, they
were officially locked out by Wyoming Valley Health Care System. Joe Rowe,
staff representative for the Scranton Central Labor Council, wore a sign
declaring that the American Federation of State and County Municipal
Employees, Chapter 87, supports the nurses. Rowe said AFSCME represents
Luzerne County municipal workers."Hopefully, we'll see a lot of them out next
week supporting the nurses," he remarked. Jim Byrnes, president of the
Scranton Central Labor Council, said he and Angelo Sabbatini, also of the
Scranton Central Labor Council, drove an hour from Wyoming County to show
their solidarity with the nurses. ...
Dispatches from the picket line
Nurses picket in the cold, a hurt child needs help, division in the ranks.
Old and new realities blend at General Hospital.
<http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/5138929.htm>
M. Paul Jackson, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, February 9, 2003
A new week. A new strike. With a second, indefinitely long strike officially
beginning at 7 am today, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital's registered nurses
remain on the picket line, and replacement nurses remain on the job.
Negotiations are not scheduled again until the end of the week. In the
hospital and on the picket line, the strike is more than just a labor
dispute. It also is about support, fear, resolve - and humor. ...
Wilkes-Barre - The postcards picture Wilkes-Barre General Hospital's
registered nurses surrounded by the families that depend on their jobs.
Mailed last week by the union, they ask community residents to support the
nurses, who first went on strike 12 days ago. Officials of competing
hospitals say the union's campaign to gain public sympathy might be a reason
their patient numbers have gone up slightly during the strike. Wilkes-Barre
General Hospital officials maintain there has been no drop in its patient
census. But, both Mercy Hospital Wilkes-Barre and the Geisinger Wyoming
Valley Medical Center say they are seeing more patients. Mercy Hospital
Wilkes-Barre has added nine patient beds because of the strike, said Mercy
Health Partners President James May. And, the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Health
Care System said some of the additional emergency patients it has seen have
said they switched hospitals because of the strike. ...
Wilkes-Barre - Two former Wilkes-Barre General Hospital employees claim they
were fired last week because of their support for striking registered nurses
and other pro-union activities. Licensed practical nurses Linda Niezgoda and
Barbara Mummert are seeking reinstatement and back wages and benefits,
according to a union attorney who filed an unfair labor practice charge
against the hospital with the National Labor Relations Board. Jonathan
Walters, attorney for the Wyoming Valley Nurses Association, said the
hospital claimed Mummert was "rude" toward one of the replacement nurses
working at the hospital during the ongoing strike by 440 registered nurses.
Niezgoda was fired for allegedly not performing her duties, Walters said.
Neither allegation is true, he said. "It's an absolute set-up," said Walters,
who argued both were fired because they supported the striking registered
nurses and worked for unionization of the practical nurses. ...
Wilkes-Barre - Most days this week, Stanley Wielgopolski, a Wilkes-Barre
General Hospital registered nurse, wakes up and prepares for work. But he's
not working at Wilkes-Barre General. He's working at Mercy Hospital in
Wilkes-Barre. Like more than half of the hospital's striking nurses,
Wielgopolski has chosen to work as a temporary nurse elsewhere, finding
higher-paying jobs as the labor dispute between the nurses' union and the
hospital continues. For some nurses, the higher pay could be an incentive to
leave the hospital permanently, officials said. Some nurses are "finding out
that, in some places, the grass is a little bit greener," Wielgopolski, 32,
said. As many as 266 of the hospital's 400 striking registered nurses are
working as temporary nurses, union officials estimated. ...
United States:
(Insulation or Exploitation? - SE)
American Nurses Association Moves Forward With Plans for New Structure
Labor and workplace advocacy groups slated to be autonomous members
<http://www.nursingworld.org>
American Nurses Association (ANA) leaders approved agreements in December
that would support the creation of separate Associate Organizational Members
(AOMs) for ANA's collective bargaining arm, the United American Nurses (UAN),
AFL-CIO, and for Workplace Advocacy (WPA) to represent the workplace
interests of nurses who do not participate in collective bargaining. The two
AOMs would be linked to the ANA through affiliation and service agreements
that cover finances, support services and relationships. The UAN National
Labor Assembly must approve the agreements and the ANA House of Delegates
must approve changes to the bylaws at its June 2003 meeting to officially
create the AOMs. The creation of AOMs represents the latest evolution in
ANA's structure specifically related to workplace rights strategies. In 1999,
the ANA passed bylaws creating the UAN and providing for the creation of a
structure for workplace advocacy. The ANA House of Delegates formalized the
workplace advocacy structure in 2000 by creating the Commission on Workplace
Advocacy (CWPA). The creation of AOMs represents the latest evolution in
ANA's structure specifically related to workplace rights strategies. In 1999,
the ANA passed bylaws creating the UAN and providing for the creation of a
structure for workplace advocacy. The ANA House of Delegates formalized the
workplace advocacy structure in 2000 by creating the Commission on Workplace
Advocacy (CWPA). In addition, creation of AOMs is part of ANA's larger
initiative to implement structural, organizational and cultural changes with
the overarching goal of connecting to more nurses. Currently, only a small
percentage of the nation's 2.7 million RNs are members of any of the more
than 100 national professional nursing organizations. ...
Barry Adams, RN: How positively tepid. (Editorial Comment: Any other pithy
observations readers of Seachange Bulletin would like to share? - SE)
The current push by Hawaii nurses for staffing changes at local hospitals is
part of a nationwide trend. Staffing ratios are the No. 1 concern among
nurses across the country, said Susan Bianchi-Sand, executive director of
United American Nurses, the labor arm of the American Nurses Association,
representing 100,000 collective-bargaining US registered nurses. "For nurses,
a high priority in working conditions is professional patient care,"
Bianchi-Sand said. "In other words, do I have time to spend with the
patients? Can I handle all the demands that the patients really need? And do
I have enough staff to do that? What happens is that when you reduce the
staff you lower the professional standards for the nurse and you adversely
affect the patient." Staffing was a major issue in the strikes by nearly
1,400 nurses against The Queen's Medical Center, St. Francis Medical Center
and Kuakini Medical Center. ... "Those safe-staffing ratios - what they do is
basically spell it out in black and white what the nurse-patient ratio will
be for that particular area that you work in," said Queen's nurse negotiator
Bill Richter. "As a general broad statement, certainly that is one of the
most talked-about and one of most addressed issues in health care as it
pertains to nursing now." Contracts for approximately 2,500 nurses, including
those at Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Kapiolani Medical Center where
agreements were reached before a strike, expired Nov. 30. Under the new
contracts, nurse wages, which affect hospital staffing ratios (sic) , will
increase 20 percent to 22 percent over three years. ... (Editorial Comment:
Ergo, ANA & UAN should support legislation to create enforceable
RN-to-patient staffing ratios, with a standardized acuity system to allow
staffing to be pumped up as the situation warrants. - SE)
I would add two points to the excellent recommendations from the commentary,
''Protect patients from errors'' (The Forum, Jan. 27). First, open and
constructive communication among all ''experts'' involved in the patient-care
delivery system should be the order of the day. Doctors should invite and
respect the opinions of registered nurses on duty. As a retired 30-year
flight attendant for United Airlines, I saw a dramatic improvement in safety
standards when the pilots and flight attendants were trained to collaborate
on a collegial level about emergency situations or aberrant behavior that
jeopardized passengers. This was not always the standard. Second, there are
too few registered nurses on staff. Common sense and research substantiate
the regrettable reality: fewer nurses, more mistakes. Attracting and
retaining nurses are investments that will pay off for safe patient health
care.
s_story8.html>
Scott Shepard, Memphis Business Journal, February 7, 2003
The high-tech collapse and a new English language test should soon help
hospitals recruit foreign nurses, bringing them into the country in a matter
of weeks, rather than a couple of years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says
there are 400,000 vacant nursing positions in the United States today, and
the number will only grow as the population ages. Foreign nurses are
considered one way to bridge the gap. The Immigration and Naturalization
Service gave the recruiting industry a boost at the end of the year by
issuing for the first time clear guidelines for using a H1-B visa for a
nurse. The H1-B has a quota limit and was originally created to import
high-tech workers, but some nurses were also able to apply if they had a
specialized skill. One stipulation of the visa is that the immigrant have at
least a four-year degree in their field. Since nurses in the United States
can practice without a degree, the INS has interpreted the rules to say that
a nurse isn't necessarily a technical, skilled position. "It's not been used
much by nurses because the INS takes the position that states will allow a
nurse to get a license without a BS degree, so they don't meet the criteria
of a specialty," says Greg Siskind, an attorney who concentrates on
immigration law. "Most countries where we recruit nurses require a BS
degree." It can cost a hospital $10,000 to find and bring in a foreign nurse,
so the lack of clear guidelines was always a damper on the idea. A former
visa type, the H1-A, expired in the mid-1990s and was not renewed under
pressure from nursing unions. Since then, the only way to bring in a foreign
nurse has been through the green card route. That entails preliminary
approval from the INS, followed by a consular investigation and a visa
screening. Most foreign nurses come from the Philippines. "A lot of these
nurses are already overseas," Siskind says. "The United States is the first
choice for most, so a recruiter will park a nurse in England, Canada or
Norway while going through this process." ...
President Bush's plan to vaccinate 500,000 health care workers against
smallpox is getting off to an unexpectedly slow start as hundreds of
hospitals and thousands of nurses across the country say that they will not
participate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today that
only 687 volunteers in 16 states had been vaccinated since the program began
two weeks ago, though it has shipped 250,000 doses of vaccine to 41 states. A
nationwide survey of state health officials by The New York Times this week
found about 350 hospitals that declined to participate. Hundreds more have
not yet decided. The vaccination plan is part of the Bush administration's
preparation against a terrorist attack or a war on Iraq, but the White House
seemed unfazed by the slow start. ... Nurses unions in California,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and parts of Pennsylvania have also advised
members not to volunteer. "There's problems with protecting my family," said
Linda Condon-McMahon, 43, an emergency-room nurse at Brockton Hospital in
Massachusetts, "and protecting the patients till the site scabs over.
Slapping a little bandage on it isn't going to protect them (if) somebody
trips and falls, grabs your arm, and there goes your bandage." Of the roughly
350 noncooperating hospitals found by The Times, 175 are in Texas, which,
unlike most other states, last month pressed all of its 550 acute-care
hospitals to make a decision. ...
BU expert faults CDC for vaccine backlash
Michael LaSalandra, Boston Herald, February 8, 2003
"The CDC has not fairly laid out how it can be done safely and what the real
historical risks are," said William Bicknell, a smallpox expert at the BU
School of Public Health. Bicknell, who testified on the subject before
Congress this week, blamed the CDC for the growing opposition to the plan. He
said the agency let potential volunteers develop exaggerated ...
_to_smallpox_shots_cited_by_militaryP.shtml>
Randolph E. Schmid, Associated Press, February 14, 2003
Washington - Three serious reactions have been reported out of more than
100,000 military vaccinations against smallpox, the Army's deputy director
for military vaccines said yesterday. Colonel John D. Grabenstein told an
Institute of Medicine panel that there have been two cases of encephalitis
and one heart infection associated with the vaccinations. All three people
have recovered and returned to duty, he said. ''We're seeing a rash of
rashes,'' Grabenstein said, but overall bad reactions are occurring at a
lower rate than had been expected. Off to a slower start is the civilian
smallpox program, with just 1,043 people vaccinated as of Feb. 11, said Joe
Henderson, associate director of terrorism preparedness and response at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said no serious reactions have
been reported in this group, mainly public health and safety personnel.
Henderson said he was not surprised by the low number of vaccinations and
predicted substantial increases over the next few weeks as more states get
involved. Concerns about liability and compensation for people who suffer
reactions have slowed the civilian program, but Henderson said only one
state, Michigan, has declined to take part until that is resolved. ...
Health Workers Balk at Smallpox Vaccinations
Cite medical, financial, political reasons for not lining up
Amanda Gardner, HealthScoutNews, February 7, 2003
Health-care professionals are citing medical, political and financial reasons
for not towing the US government line and getting smallpox vaccinations. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shipped 204,600 doses of
vaccine to 40 states, as part of its stated effort to inoculate 500,000
health-care workers who would likely be caring for smallpox patients. But the
CDC reports that those workers aren't rolling up their sleeves en masse: Only
687 people in 16 states had volunteered since the program was inaugurated two
weeks ago. This apparent slow start seems to reflect a deep ambivalence among
doctors, nurses and other health-care professionals not only about the
vaccine, but also about the war against terrorism. At issue is the safety of
the vaccine (the CDC says about 1,000 out of every 1 million people have
experienced "serious" reactions, up to 52 people had potentially
life-threatening reactions, and one to two in a million may die),
compensation for anyone who suffers complications, the question of leave
after receiving the vaccine, and whether smallpox really is a credible
threat. "Over the last year on the national level, there has been a big
debate about smallpox, to vaccinate or not to vaccinate. Now that debate has
got to occur at every level in the medical system," says Dr. Georges
Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA)
in Washington, DC. "As more people do it and as we get a better understanding
of the risk-benefit, more people will be comfortable vaccinating unless
something happens." The form of the roll-out may also be playing a role.
Rather than one federal plan to be implemented the same way in each state,
various metropolitan and other regions are determining how they want to do
it, says Jim Bentley, senior vice president with the American Hospital
Association (AHA) in Washington, DC. Both the AHA and the APHA generally
support the administration's program to vaccinate the vaccinators or those
health-care workers who are likely to be in the front line of a terrorist
attack. Both have also asked for additions to the program, including
provisions for liability and compensation for anyone who suffers consequences
from the vaccine. "It was our sense that to make volunteering broadly
successful, you needed to take issues of liability and compensation off the
table," Bentley says. That has not happened, he adds. The National
Association of Children's Hospitals echoes that concern. "Children's
hospitals have a disproportionately large impact on the population of
children most vulnerable to secondary vaccinia infection," they write in a
letter to the CDC. "Remaining faithful to their missions of meeting
children's unique needs will require these hospitals to take extra caution in
how they participate in the national smallpox preparedness program." Those
who get a smallpox vaccination could be contagious for three weeks, and there
is a shortage of specialists in the pediatric field, the letter says. These
hospitals need more flexibility and a way to compensate those who suffer bad
reactions, the letter adds. The CDC has acknowledged the issue. "We recognize
that the concerns about compensation are resulting in people being slow to
accept the vaccination program, particularly institutions where they don't
have confidence that they won't fall through the cracks," CDC director Dr.
Julie Gerberding said in a telebriefing Thursday. Taking leave after
receiving the vaccine has also been an issue. "It's up to the particular
institution, and part of what makes it so hard to deal with in my opinion,"
Bentley says. Hospitals don't want to deplete their staff but, at the same
time, medical professionals don't want to inadvertently expose any patients
to a live vaccine. "There clearly are a significant number of hospitals that
are concerned about exposing cancer patients or transplant or HIV patients to
a vaccine they shouldn't be exposed to," Bentley says. Physicians for Social
Responsibility is calling for more controls over spreading the virus to the
population at large. "There's a risk which is way beyond what the original
studies were in terms of immune-compromised individuals," says Dr. Robert
Gould, president of the group and a pathologist at Kaiser Hospital in San
Jose, Calif. "We're supporting the decision of health professionals and
hospitals to opt out of the first round of vaccination." Six staff members
from Staten Island University Hospital in New York City reported for
vaccination training with health department officials. Dr. Jordan Glaser, the
hospital's director of infectious diseases, doesn't know how many of the
hospital's personnel will eventually be vaccinated, but the institution has
requested more than 150 doses. Even without active recruitment, Glaser says
30 volunteers have already come forward. "My sense is that the further you
get from ground zero and 9/11/01, the less people want to get vaccinated," he
says. One person from the hospital's infectious diseases department will be
vaccinated, but Glaser would not say whether he or another staffer will be
that person. Meg Brizzolara, a registered nurse at San Francisco General
Hospital, has staunchly refused to either receive a vaccine or to administer
one. Her main concerns seem political. "There's nothing to convince me that
this threat is credible," she says. "It looks more and more like this is
fear-mongering on the part of the White House to get support on this war, and
that's not enough reason for me." "There's just not a doubt in my mind. I'm
not going to do it," she adds. So the debate rages on. "I've talked to a
number of hospital CEOs about this," Bentley says. "The places that have
decided not to do it or have yet to make a decision are in a position where
the medical staff is not persuaded this is the right thing to do. In that
sense, the federal government has not persuaded the physician community and
the nurses that this is the right, safe thing to do." SOURCES: Jordan Glaser,
MD, director, infectious diseases, Staten Island University Hospital, New
York City; Robert Gould, MD, president, Physicians for Social Responsibility,
San Francisco and pathologist, Kaiser Hospital, San Jose, Calif.; Jim
Bentley, PhD, senior vice president, American Hospital Association,
Washington, DC; Meg Brizzolara, RN, San Francisco General Hospital; Georges
Benjamin, MD, executive director, American Public Health Association,
Washington, DC; Feb. 6, 2003, CDC telebriefing; Jan. 30, 2003, APHA
legislative testimony.
Message from Suzanne Gordon: I'm writing a book for Cornell University Press
on the contemporary nursing crisis. It will be part of a new series I'll be
editing for the press on the politics and culture of health care work.
Included in it is a discussion of the problem of doctor/nurse relationships.
What I would appreciate being able to talk to some folks about at MNA is the
following. Do you all get complaints about disruptive physician behavior,
yelling, screaming, tantrums, throwing things in ORs etc? Other issues dealt
with are blowing off nurses's concerns, not consulting with nurses about
patient care issues and so forth. I'd like to know how hospitals deal with
these issues, how unions deal with these issues, and if nurses who have
problems with them actually take them to the union or to the hospital. Plus
any other insights anyone has on this subject, or anything I have left out
that folks think I should be considering. I would very much appreciate your
help on this. Thanks, Suzanne (lsupport@attbi.com)
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