Calif. Nurses Go on One-Day Strike — Hospitals Decide to Replace Them
- Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:21pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
Some California nurses picketed during contract dispute. (Photo: AP/Nick Ut)
OAKLAND, Calif. (TheBlaze/AP) — Hospital officials say nurses who staged a one-day strike against nine hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles will not be allowed to return to work Friday. Hospitals enforcing the nurse lockout have brought in replacement nurses to help care for patients.
Thursday’s strike — the second in three months — and the planned lockout are the latest in a series of disputes between nurses and hospital management over health care costs, staffing levels and sick leave.
Here‘s the Associated Press report on yesterday’s strike:
The California Nurses Association — the union behind the walkout — had expected 6,000 nurses at nine hospitals in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas to participate in the strike. A hospital official said a “significant number” of nurses had crossed the picket lines.
The San Francisco Bay area hospitals targeted by the nurses are controlled by Sutter Health. The nurses’ contract with Sutter expired about six months ago, and union officials have objected to changes in paid sick leave and health care premiums proposed by Sutter.
In Southern California, nurses at Long Beach Memorial Hospital and adjoining Miller Children’s Hospital, which are not controlled by Sutter Health, have raised concerns about staffing levels they say don’t allow them to take meal and rest breaks.
Both hospital systems said they would lock out striking nurses for additional days because their contracts with replacement nurses require a minimum number of days of service.
Hospital officials said replacement nurses had been brought in and patient care was not immediately affected.
Nurses at the Sutter hospitals would be allowed to return to work on Saturday, spokeswoman Karen Garner said. Nurses at the Long Beach hospital would be allowed to return Tuesday.
A union official blasted the hospitals for refusing to allow nurses to immediately return, and said the quality of patient care would suffer during a lockout.
“For a one-day strike, it’s unwarranted, it‘s unnecessary and it’s punitive,” said Charles Idelson, a spokesman for the association.
Hospital officials criticized the union for calling the strike just before Christmas.
“It’s unfortunate and disappointing that the union called this disruptive strike, especially during the holidays, when only the sickest of the sick are in the hospital, Sutter spokeswoman Kami Lloyd said in a statement late Thursday.
Lloyd did not have an exact number of the nurses who crossed picket lines during the strike but said 63 percent of the nurses at the Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch crossed picket lines, while 59 percent went to work at the Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley.
Union officials disputed the hospital’s numbers, but could not say how many nurses participated in the strike.
In Oakland, dozens of nurses picketed Thursday outside Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. They chanted and carried signs that read “RNs on strike for patient care.”
Leslie Silket, a registered nurse and union representative, said she had worked at the center for 21 years.
“Today’s strike is to let Sutter know that we are standing solid in solidarity to fight back their corporate greed,” said Silket, 44. “We are fighting for our patients. We are fighting for our contract.”
Sutter Health says its full-time nurses receive an average salary of $136,000 a year and have the option of a 100 percent employer-paid health benefits package.
“They’re doing pretty darn well,” said Dr. Steve O’Brien, vice president of medical affairs at Alta Bates.
Nurses at the Sutter hospitals also went on strike in September. That strike, which union officials said involved 23,000 nurses, also affected hospitals run by Kaiser Permanente and the independent Children’s Hospital Oakland.
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 667 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 525 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 371 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 364 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 326 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 247 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 254 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order Read More
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 247 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (141)
thegoldman
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:01pmAnd dressed like ACORN workers…
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:43pm“Today’s strike is to let Sutter know that we are standing solid in solidarity to fight back their corporate greed,” said Silket, 44. “We are fighting for our patients. We are fighting for our contract.”
Sutter Health says its full-time nurses receive an average salary of $136,000 a year and have the option of a 100 percent employer-paid health benefits package.
***********************************************************************************************
That pretty much says it all right there!
Report Post »Give me a break!!….Who is the greedy one??
Fighting for their patients??…..Give me a break!!
Fire them!….See how they like that!
Creeps!!
HKS
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 3:52pmThere like spreading the wealth, outsource the picketing stuff.
Report Post »Grey Eagle
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 7:34pmYou got that right. The hospitals have to provide patient care and apparently they can’t depend on the Unions. The Unions have no right to blame anyone but themselves for the walkout then the lock out. I do not feel sorry for them. What the Unions did is considered abandoning the patients.
Report Post »DoubleThrowDown
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 7:35pmThe only thing that would make this the story of the year is if the hospitals released a statement saying that all the temp nurses will be considered full time and that they will non union hospital from this time on!
Report Post »Ruler4You
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 5:26amAll I can say is they sound like idiots. And if this “IS” the quality of the ‘nursing staff’ at this hospital, I’ll take my chances on my own.
The hospital did the community a service by getting rid of them. They can’t string a full coherent sentence together, they shouldn’t be allowed any where near a functioning society. Let alone caring for incapacitated people.
Report Post »JJ Coolay
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 10:19amIf you’re fool enough to strike in this economy, I don’t feel bad you lost your job. There’s FAR TOO MANY folks standing in line waiting for your job.
Report Post »saltwater
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 3:20pmThrow out all unions!!!!!!
Report Post »habibivic
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 7:24pmThat shows great patient care. Lets walk out and complain about not getting our second meal break. Oh wait, on top of that we also make $136,000. The worst part is that temp workers are horrible in the medical field. They provide half a$$ service and terrible bedside care. Shows how much these nurses care about their patients. Fire em! There’ s plenty that will fill their spots.
Report Post »Tri-ox
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:00pmGOOD! ALL obama union-losers should be fired.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:09pmFor patient care my ass, just like the teachers are only concerned for the children, who cant even read their damn diplomas….. I hope they fire them peranentlly !!!!!
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:57pmThey (the unions) live by the sword and thus should die by the sword. Fire ‘em all.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 5:27pmThis reminds me of Reagan fireing all those FFA workers. First President with testicals. Our nurses here in Oklahoma only make $45 to 53,000 but they would never walk off the job for the better good of their patients.
Report Post »proudinfidel54
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 7:18pmHa HaHa Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:58pmStrikes are necessary in situations where the employer is being unreasonable.. They are the last resort of employees who are treated unfairly. Nurses do the majority of patient care in a hospital. Their work is crucial.
Report Post »apollo18
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:36pmAnd as soon as they choose unions over their patients and their families, they become politicians and stop being nurses.
Another thing, nurses have LOTS of help you seem to have left out of your statement.
Report Post »408 CheyTac
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 3:16pmBAIKONUR = liberal/union shill.
And firing ******** that leave patients in a bad situation is necessary when union jackasses walk out, leaving people’s care at risk.
Report Post »NOBAMA201258
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 4:16pm136 K ain’t chump change plus healthcare benefits ?
Report Post »lifeexperience
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 4:36pmAs a nurse, I find this disgusting. “Average $136,000.00 per year” oh and benefits paid. They knew that they would end up with time off when they went out. Sounds like a ploy by the nurses to have some time off during the holidays which, if anyone knows a nurse, they know more than two days off in a row during Christmas holiday season doesn’t happen. Nurses in other parts of the country are lucky to make 1/2 of that salary and have to contribute to insurance/benefits.
Sorry ,I’ve worked wth both union and non-union nurses and it is never about patient care when a union is involved.
It is about:
*when is payday?
*why do we have to do that?
*when is the lunch break or when is my next break?
*I don’t have to do that.
*that is not my job/that is not in my contract.
*I’m off at 3, so if it doesn’t happen before then…
Thank goodness there are nurses that will cross and go to work. Patients deserve better.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 5:16pmU r greedy & care 4 ppl means less to u . Success not greed u dumb azz
Report Post »proudinfidel54
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 10:59amI walked through the Hospital near me and everywhere I looked there were Union Nurses standing around having personal conversation (not working) mostly talking to Doctors about having a drink later, hopeing to hook one. I saw one nurse flirting for 10 minutes while holding a patients dinner tray imagine how cold that food was. Yep Unions sometimes need to strike and union employees sometimes neet to be fired too.
Report Post »jonahsafta
Posted on December 24, 2011 at 11:06amMy husband has been a nurse for 30 yrs. He has worked in union terrorized facilities and non union. The union brought discord and discontent to the environment while charging nurses a fee for their disruption. The focus is shifted to ‘nurses are being victimized by the hospital”..whining, complaining,
Report Post »threats…and strikes ( temper tantrums) if the union cant intimidate the hospital…The pay wasnt necessarily more….the environment more “me me me me” less team oriented…I hope the hospital is able to replace the nurses with dedicated nurses with patient focus…without self focused bullying union focus.
californiapatriotmom
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:52pmThey make 136,000 per year and can’t deal with a few less sick days, or having to put in a little extra of their own money for benefits? I have no sympathy for them. Yes, nurses work hard and do a lot of the grunt work for physicians, but this is ridiculous. I recall that in 1981, when the air traffic controllers went on strike, President Reagan fired them. We should do the same here.
Report Post »dmforman
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:16pmEveryone’s health care has gone up each year. Some people don’t get sick days, nor make the money that these nurses make. Wish the news story would tell how much these people make a year, as the salary would really upset many.
Report Post »FSM_47
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 3:01pmI was a ‘scab’ controller during the 1981 ATC strike. It was nothing more than a power play between the Union and management(taxpayers). This is also. Just as are the fiascoes going on in Wisconsin.
Report Post »IMPEACHBHO
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:48pmStrikes are foolish. Strikes are dangerous when it involves police, fire, medical. IF I WALKED OUT, the door would only swing one way. You don’t like the job, leave it – there are millions ready and willing to replace you.
Report Post »Baikonur
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:02pm@IMPEACHBHO
Report Post »Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:48pm
‘You don’t like the job, leave it – there are millions ready and willing to replace you.’
****************
You are right, there are millions of people who want and need a job. That is not a valid reason for employers to take advantage of their employees. This is the reason for collective bargaining and for unions–to defend employees against curel and greedy bosses who have millions of unfortunate poor people to pick from to expoit and treat badly.
Micmac
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:17pm$136,000.00/yr and full medical paid to nurses doesn’t sound greedy to me. NoBama-created jobs that he takes credit for pay under $10.00/hr. Do the math.
NoBama 2012
Report Post »Trboot Washington
dmforman
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:19pmWith $136,000 a year average salary, these nurses are hardly being taken advantage of. Their average salary is way above the national average nurse salary. Give me a break!!!!
Most employees have had to pay more for health care and given up benefits to keep jobs. Unions aren’t the answer!!!
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:48pmstupid is as stupid does. no one likes a whiny employee with an entitled attitude, fire them all
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:13pm@baikenour
Report Post »Unions are the main reasons bussiness and manufacturing has left this country, along with big govt. Regulation and taxes, not to mention the trial lawyers !!! ALL LEFTIST REASONS !!!
starman70
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 4:18pm@BIAKANOUR
Apparently, you have never walked through the RUST BELT of Ohio, Pennasylvania, Indiana wher steel was once king. UNIONS AND LEFTIST GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS KILLED THE STEEL PRODUCERS. You have never walked through once vibrant Detroit and seen the utter destruction caused by Democrat rule. You have never walked through the shuttered cotton mills of the south, closed because of the government’s pandering to foreing countries and allowing cheap labor to replace the American worker.
Unions and their unreasonable demands are killing America just the same way they are killing Europe. The idiotic Democrats from the POTUS on down are part and parcel with the effort to destroy the country and make it impossible to operate a business here. Environmental lunatics, have caused massive damage to the economy because of over regulation.
At $136,000 per year along with free health care, if these nurses can’t make a living, they need to find other employment.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:45pmThe greed I see is coming from the nurses. This by no means that some hospitals aren’t greedy also, but heaven forbid if you had to give up something as we all know “it is all about you”. If you really loved your job and cared about the patients, it would not matter what salary or benefits you received. However, because the union wants to get more money “from you for you” (Right), you are willing to sacrifice the patients to do so.
As far as doing this for the patients, lets be truthful here and call a spade a spade; you don’t give a rats patooty about the patients because if you did, you would not Strike. Your first and foremost reason is you, WHAT YOU WANT.
Instead of yelling “People before Profits”, how about “Patients before Salary”?
Report Post »quicker
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:11pmAt 136,000 average annul salary that would mean that low end of the scale would be about 80,000.My wife is a nurse here in Texas and only makes about 55,000 a year and has to pay part of her heath care insurance.OMG. these poor poor people.When she was ADON she was on salary and put in a lot of unpaid overtime .Give me a break.Unions are a job killer.And no wonder it cost so much to stay in a hospital.
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:54pm@quicker
Exactly….What you said!
Report Post »I have always maintained that the high costs of health care is not because of insurance companies. It’s the hospitals, (especially under unions), and the unbelievably greedy medical suppliers.
Thats why insurance companies charge so much.
John1863
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:43pmThey should all be fired for this. In Findlay Ohio Copper Tire went out on strike so the company started to explore moving the plant, the union complained to the National Labor Relations Board and the company decided to keep trying to negotiate so the Obama administration pressured the Ohio unemployment department and now not only are they on strike but they are receiving unemplyment benefits. Time to break out the ball bats like in the good old days…
Report Post »GollygeeMrwilson
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 3:25pmOn strike with unemployment benefits? Sounds crazy. How did this happen in the USA?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:42pmNice to see jobs opening up. Will Barry consider these as NEW JOBS?
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:01pmlol
Report Post »HKS
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:40pmAh, that’s how Obummer is going to create new jobs, use the unions to piss off companies, get the workers fired and hire new ones, dwa-la, new jobs. Now if I was in a union I would be pissed myself knowing I was being used for statistics. Couple that with his ridiculous regulations requiring ridiculous numbers of people to keep up with and Obummer is creating a lot of jobs. The only problem, like socialism in general, is that you eventually run out of other peoples money. Business close and go away and nobody works. Now what-cha gonna do.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:48pmAfter a closer look at these Nurses, I think Shovel Ready Jobs, might be the statistic.
Report Post »Ramcharger
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:41pmHey, lets send some homeless to their homes and let them “occupy their dwelling” for a bit.
Report Post »txjb
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 6:57pmBack in 1989 I bought a new ramcharger , put close to ninety thousand miles on it , loved that utility vehicle.
Report Post »Ramcharger
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:40pmThey make $136,000 – hmmmm, they seem a bit greedy don’t they. Maybe we should send some homeless to their homes to protest them and redistribute some of their worldly goods.
Report Post »olddog
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:40pmUnions are a large part of America’s problems,.If you are not happy with where you work open you own business and quit being a leech off others efforts…Please name me One Business that is Union that Doesn’t have trouble with them??? If I owned a business and the employees voted in a union, I’d close that business….
Report Post »Die Trying
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:40pmhahahahahahahahhaha!
Report Post »snufy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:37pm$136,000 plus paid full bennies…Damn, where do I apply? They let the greedy unions screw up their jobs, all in the name of getting more money from the members. Unions could give a damn less about the members, as long as they get their dues. If I was the hospital director, I would do the same thing to those ungrateful fools. The more unions get, the more they want. I have had dealings with different unions and I know how they are. Times are kinda tough for hospitals, given all the free med treatment they have to give to illegals in California. Too many to count have gone broke.
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:33pmThey should all be fired. LORD I hate unions!
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:32pmThe union actions were dangerous, and had not the hospitals been prepared there could have been deaths. All for a little more money. To hell with unions, and any nurse that was on strike should never be allowed back. Hire a real nurse that cares about people, more than the few cents they struck for.
Report Post »CatB
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:38pmThey should lose their license .. that would put an end to this.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 5:25pmNow that makes perfect sence, will the nurses go on a permanet strike when Obama health care is fully emplamented ?
Report Post »variable51
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:31pmCan anyone tell me, exactly and succinctly, how going on strike for concerns about “sick days” has anything to do with patient care? Anyone? …… I thought not. Fire them all, unions have outlived their usefulness.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:30pm“RNs on strike for patient care”? If they’re not working, how is that CARING for patients??
“A union official blasted the hospitals for refusing to allow nurses to immediately return, and said the quality of patient care would suffer during a lockout.” Really?? Shouldn’t they have thought of that before they decided to abandon the patients they are responsible for? Fire all of them. There’s enough replacement staff to cover those shifts.
Report Post »apollo18
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 2:57pmUnion definition of “caring” means caring for your union brother, so we can collect your dues so we can send it to the Democratic Party, so they can vote for us and we can get more pay so the union can collect more union dues so they can send it to the democratic party….
Where’s there anything about nurses caring for patients in that?
Report Post »reconmarine
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:30pmAll striking union members in any job should be replaced immediately. There’s alot of people out there looking for work to feed their families not to line their pockets.
Report Post »KingCanon
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:28pmWhen in the last 35 years were patients ever put before profit?
Report Post »AmericanStrega
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:42pmOh, I don’t know. I worked in the medical field for 10 years. The hospital and clinic I worked for was rated in the top 10 of the best in the entire nation for PATIENT CARE! Yes, profit was there, but on a day-today basis, all staff really cared about was the PATIENT. If a hospital or clinic does not have profit, how can they keep their doors open? If there is no profit, how can the facility pay their employees, among other overhead? These striking nurses average pay was $100,000+/year! Does a good nurse deserve that rate of pay? HELL YES. But you need to understand, a company has to be able to profit to provide services to their customers and to provide income to their employees. If there is no profit, there isn’t going to be a business providing services to customers and income to employees. Is that so hard to understand?
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:42pmUnions
Report Post »The next to last american president
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:27pmA new relationship between God and man began with the Birth of Christ. God is of the spirit, man of the flesh. Jesus, Son of God in the flesh was the bridge between God and Man. With him, man can walk across the divide and be one with God.
I am of bad health and having financial problems. Often I pray to God and wonder if they are heard. Am I nothing but one tiny grain of sand on a massive shoreline? Am I worthy of a response? Write books for “God” that no one will read. Am I just a fool? If my prayers are never heard, am I not worthy?
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:41pmYes, Possibly, Sometime, Maybe
Report Post »Kansas Mom
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:45pmActually..you’re not worthy, no one is….That’s why Christ died for the unworthy like you and me. That heart brother and have faith.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:52pmYes, No, Yes, Exactly!
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:55pmKansas Mom
Report Post »Hey, I didn’t have any sins when Christ died, so don’t blame me.
Charybdis
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:27pm“A union official blasted the hospitals for refusing to allow nurses to immediately return, and said the quality of patient care would suffer during a lockout.”
And what about the quality of patient care on the day of the walk-out if there had been no replacement nurses brought in? Hypocrite.
Report Post »Sirfoldallot
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:25pmReagan would fire them, they r suppose to help the sick not be sick with greed.
Report Post »randy
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:25pmOne word…. GOOD!
Report Post »The HeII with unions
Democrats want people to die….
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 1:24pmAnother good reason we need the unions to go away.
Report Post »