From hospice centers to emergency rooms, frontline medical workers across the country have been protesting what they call unsafe patient care status and poor bargaining behavior this month.
Here are six examples of union activities that led to strikes – all of which happened in July.
Ascension St. Agnes Hospital (Baltimore, MD)
Nurses at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore are planning a one-day strike on July 24. They are frustrated by the tensions of staffing level, patient safety and high turnover.
This marks the first strike by hospital nurses in Baltimore.
“We are surprised because of the staffing crisis caused by the staffing decision of hospital administrators because patients are unable to get the best care,” Melissa Larue, an intensive care nurse in Saint Agnes, said in a statement. “During the contract negotiations, we made many suggestions to address our concerns about patient safety and safety staffing. We hope to sublimate to the negotiation table so that we can reach an agreement to put patients first.”
Essentia Health (Northeast Minnesota and Wisconsin)
Clinical workers at the outpatient facility owned by Essentia Health ended a 13-day strike on Tuesday. The strike involved more than 300 clinic nurses and 400 senior practitioners.
The workers went on strike to protest Essentia's failure to negotiate an alleged illegal intervene in trade union organizations in good faith. The employees ended after the agreement with Essentia to resume collective bargaining under the terms of improvements.
“For a long time, outpatient care has been seen as an afterthought,” Dana Bukovich, a nurse at the Essentia superior clinic, said in a statement. “We have made it clear that patients in the clinic should get the same safety standards as those in the hospital and we won't stop until they get them.”
University Medical Center New Orleans
A team of about 600 nurses at the University of New Orleans Medical Center, owned by LCMC Health, conducted a two-day strike last week. The strike marks the fourth time in the hospital in less than a year.
The nurses claim that the hospital has been training and expelling experienced nurses who are retaliation advocated by the union.
“Picking out pro-union nurses shows that LCMC is using discipline to retaliate against us,” Dana Judkins, a nurse in the hospital's trauma intensive care unit, said in a statement. “We were surprised to let them know that we would not tolerate retribution advocated for ourselves and our patients.”
HealthPartners Clinic (Stillwater, Minnesota)
About 80 clinical workers at Stillwater, HealthPartners clinic, conducted a four-day unfair labor practice strike. These workers include licensed practice nurses, certified medical assistants and other service unit health care workers.
The group said the main reason for the strike was the hospital's refusal to provide meaningful wage increases.
“Frankly, the wages offered by employers to us are insulting. Even for our highest salary, they increased by less than 70 cents a year in the most recent pass. We refuse to accept that this is the best health care attendant that must provide. This vote can firmly support each other’s support and we will have to stand up. The clinic’s assistant said in a statement.
McLaren Macomb Hospital (Clemens Hill, Michigan)
A group of employees at McLaren Macomb Hospital conducted a three-day strike that began on July 7. The team includes about 500 nurses and 200 clinical support staff.
Workers used chronic unsafe staffing levels and low wages as reasons for the strike, and allegations that allegations of management negotiating maliciously.
Petaluma (Petaluma, CA) and Hospice Memorial Hospice (Santa Rosa, CA)
Providence-owned clinical workers at Petaluma Hospice and Memorial Hospice Hospital underwent a two-day strike. The organization includes over 100 people, mainly nurses, home health assistants, pastors and social workers.
Due to a joint venture between Providence and Backed Compass, hospice caregivers fear that the main problem for these workers is focused on the case limits and standards of care that preserve patients, these joint ventures may reduce the quality of end-of-life care they provide.
“Providence often tries to save money at the expense of patient care, and we are worried that under new private equity operators, our services will be greatly reduced unless we can enjoy protection in union contracts,” Tim Johnson, a social worker at Memorial Hospice Hospital, said in a statement.
