North Adams nurses put out call for support

[Omaha Steve]

http://seachange.wbumpus.com/node/21720

Submitted by seachange on Sat, 2010-08-21 05:23.

* RNs - Massachusetts

Jennifer Huberdeau, North Adams Transcript, August 20, 2010

North Adams - The registered nurses at North Adams Regional Hospital are looking for community support as they near a September 3 strike date. "In a time of crisis, a family sticks together. We nurses are in crisis, and we need your support," begins a new 30-second television spot filmed by the local unit of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. It goes on to state that nurses are concerned with contract language that would affect the quality of care patients receive and the quality of life of the union’s members.

"We would never know what our paycheck would be or when we would work," a voice-over says at it shows pictures of the hospital’s nursing staff. "The hospital executives want to send us home when they want. You don’t want to be cared for a nurse that is sick or overtired - We are a family and we need your help."

The advertisement also urges community members to call Northern Berkshire Healthcare President and CEO Richard Palmisano directly, providing his office number at the end of the commercial.

Negotiations, which began in January, came to a standstill in July with the union giving advance notice of the strike at the beginning of August. The union has been without a contract since March 31, and a federal mediator has been observing the proceedings since April.

Should the two sides fail to meet a compromise in the coming weeks, the union is set to strike at 6 AM on September 3. Of the union’s 103 members, 90 percent voted on whether or not to go on strike. Out of that number, 99 percent voted in favor of the strike, with only one vote against it.

"Our representative informed the federal mediator today that we are prepared to stay as late as it takes at our next bargaining session on August 31. We’re also prepared to come back on September 1, if needed," Ruth O’Hearn, a registered nurse and co-chairwoman of the local bargaining unit, said Thursday during an editorial board meeting with the Transcript.

FULL story at link.

[meowomon]

1. We nurses are shit on daily.

I don't have a union to protect me. I live in a "right to work" state and am on my own.