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Union Members Ante Up to Help Striking Nurses |
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UPDATE: The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee has contributed $10,000 to help the striking nurses at the Appalachian Regional Healthcare.
After the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals forced 700 registered nurses out on strike more than five weeks ago, the nurses have stood strong in the face of management’s vitriolic anti-union campaign.
The nurses, members of the United American Nurses (UAN) at nine hospitals in Kentucky and West Virginia, had sought to negotiate a contract with safer staffing levels and higher patient care standards.
Yesterday, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney and Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka delivered a $20,000 check to aid the nurses on strike at the ARH hospitals (see video).
At a get-out-the-vote rally yesterday in Louisville, Ky., Sweeney pledged that the 10 million members of the AFL-CIO would “always be here for you, no matter what it takes.”
The $20,000 will provide emergency financial support for the striking nurses, with assistance given to those needing help with basic necessities like heating bills and food.
The check is just part of the ongoing support the union movement is giving to the nurses. At another rally Thursday in Hazard, Ky., AFSCME President Gerald McEntee gave striking nurses in the crowd a $10,000 check on behalf of his union. Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) and Mine Workers (UMWA) joined solidarity walks with the nurses to call on ARH to recognize the nurses’ freedom to call for better patient care.
(You can help out. Click here to make a donation to support the nurses.)
The nurses are concerned that management’s staffing decisions and rampant mandatory overtime are preventing them from giving patients the best possible care. In contract negotiations, ARH is proposing modest pay raises but then is demanding to cut holiday pay and increase health care premiums, effectively wiping out the raises.
Kudos to Edgery who posted a blog about the nurses’ plight at DailyKos. Read it here.
2 Comments
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I am retired and do not have cash to give but here is a song for my sister and brothers on strike against ARH:
MORE FORCED OVERTIME TONIGHT: HOSPITAL VERSION
THE LIves OF We Nurses ARE’NT EASY,
WE WORK THROUGH THE DAY AND THE NIGHT.
ONE EMERGENCY AFTER ANOTHER
THIS KIND OF CARE IS’NT RIGHT.
HOSPITAL WORK IS BAD FOR THE FAMILY,
WE DON’T MAKE IT HOME EVERY NIGHT.
ADMINISTRATORS SAY, “LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT”
WHILE THEIR PROFITS GROW WAY OUT OF SIGHT,
BUT WORST OF ALL I’M TELLING YOU
WE CANT GO HOME WHEN SHIFT IS THROUGH
BECAUSE THERE’S:
CHORUS
MORE FORCED OVERTIME TONIGHT
I HOPE THAT I’LL BE HOME BEFORE IT’S LIGHT
OH MY FAMILY IS A GRIEVIN
AND THEIR EVEN TALKIN LEAVIN,
BUT THERE’S MORE FORCED OVERTIME TONIGHT.
DAY AFTER DAY WITH NO TIME OFF,
BEGINS TO TAKE Its TOLL,
IF YOUR TIRED YOU JUST BETTER BE THERE,
CAUSE THE BOSSES SAY ABSENCE CONTROL.
IT’S CHEAPER TO FORCE US ALL O.T.
WHILE THE JOBLESS CONTINUE TO GROW
AND PATIENTS CONTINUES TO SUFFER
WHILE THE HOSPITAL RAKES IN MORE DOUGH
TWELVE HOUR DAYS OR EVEN MORE
WHAT THE HELL WE LIVIN FOR?
CHORUS
WE CAN’T CONTINUE TO TAKE IT
IT IS TIME TO FIGHT WHERE WE STAND
FORCED OVERTIME IS JUST SLAVERY
LET’S CHANGE THE LAWS OF THE LAND.
THE CHAINS OF OUR SLAVERY ARE WAGES
THERE REASON FOR FORCING IS GREED
WHEN ALL OF THE FAMILY IS WORKING
MORE TIME OFF THE JOBS WHAT WE NEED
LET’S ALL WORK FOR A SHORTER DAY
AND NEVER MORE WELL HAVE TO SAY
CHORUS
PLEASE SEE IF THE NURSES WANT TO USE THIS. THEY CAN E-MAIL ME OR CALL AT 650-355-8102 I do have the melody on a cd but with other words from 1983 and forced overtime for telephone workers. I AM ALWAYS READY TO HELP A SISTER OR BROTHER IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT.
Dave Hurlburt CWA local 9410
(Because We’re Right We’ll Stand and fight) its a song if you want the melody e-mail me dghurlb@pacbell.net
We find it very, very hard to understand,
When A R Healthcare makes a million, million grand
Why they don’t bargain when we bring them our demands.
Because we’re right we’ll stand and fight.
We’ll stand and fight For patients rights.
We’ll stand and fight because we’re right
We earn for them every single dollar that they make
And now our benefits they say they want to take.
Don’t they recognize they’re making a mistake.
Because we’re right we’ll stand and fight.
We’ll stand and fight because we’re right.
It not just ours but our patients fight.
We’ll stand and fight because we’re right
Patient Care is what we’re fighting for
What A R Healthcare wants is more and more.
That’s why we’re all here standing at the door.
Because we’re right we’ll stand and fight.
We’ll stand and fight because we’re right.
It not just ours but our patients fight.
We’ll stand and fight because we’re right.
Just for my Brothers and Sisters on strike at AR Healthcare
David Hurlburt CWA local 9410