https://socialistaction.org/2017/08/01/tufts-nurses-strike/
Tufts nurses strike
/ 2 days ago
Aug. 2017 Tufts nursesBy ERNIE GOTTA
— BOSTON — About 1200 nurses at the Tufts Medical Center went on strike
in July. Following the strike and a four-day lock-out, they returned to
work on July 17 without a new contract in place. The union says it was
the largest nursing strike in Massachusetts history.
Socialist Action recently interviewed Stefanie Reis, a nurse since 2008,
who joined the picket line in solidarity with the striking nurses.
Stefanie works as a nurse on union construction sites in Boston and is a
member of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA). She is also on the
executive board of the Boston Democratic Socialists of America.
Ernie Gotta: Why did nurses at the Tufts Medical Center go on strike?
Stefanie Reis: I’ve listed the key issues noted on the MNA’s website,
along with my take on each issue:
1) The need for improved nurse staffing with safer patient assignments
for nurses throughout the hospital.
Too many patients means that a nurse can’t give patients the attention
they need and deserve. Encounters are brief and can feel rushed. This
creates the potential for nurses to miss a critical change in a
patient’s condition. It can also leave a nurse vulnerable to physical
harm if they miss a change in a patient’s mental status.
2) The need for more IV nurses and clinical resource nurses. Doctors
order additional treatments and medications for patients throughout the
day. IV and clinical resource nurses would follow through on these
orders, which would result in the patient receiving the treatment or
medication in a timely manner without the primary nurse having to
squeeze one more thing into their already tight schedule.
3) The need to have charge nurses who are free of patient assignments at
the start of all shifts, in all units.
A charge nurse is an RN who is responsible for managing all aspects of
nursing responsibilities during each shift, from processing patients in
and out to delegating nursing rounds. Being free of an initial patient
assignment will allow Tufts’ charge nurses to provide desperately needed
support to patients and nurses at the busiest time (i.e., change of
shift). When a charge nurse has a patient assignment, they are unable to
complete the above responsibilities, which means they fall on the
shoulders of the regular staff nurses.
4) The need for wage improvements that will make the hospital market
competitive, thereby improving nurse recruitment and retention.
Nurses at Tufts are the lowest paid in Boston. Some nurses are working
three jobs just to make ends meet. The reports of Tufts nurse’s wages
being high were based on outlier wage data. Some of the wage data
included health insurance and pension in the nurses’ wages. You can’t
eat your pension. You can’t pay your mortgage with health insurance.
5) The need for pension protections/improvements that will make the
hospital market competitive. Tufts has proposed harsh cuts to pensions,
and rejected the counteroffer from the MNA.
EG: The CEO of Tufts, Dr. Michael Wagner, had this to say about the
Massachusetts Nurses Association: “Somebody has to step up and say the
intimidation, harassment, and bullying of the MNA has to be stood up
against.” What are your thoughts on his comment and the way he has dealt
with union?
SR: This is the typical anti-union rhetoric I’d expect to hear from a
CEO. CEOs care about their bottom line, regardless of the impact on
care. Nurses care about their patients.
EG: After locking the MNA nurses out following a one-day strike, Wagner
has used temporary nurses to help run the hospital. When people say, “a
nurse strike only hurts the patients,” how do you respond? What would
you say to those who have crossed the picket line?
SR: The hospital is the one putting the patients at risk, not the
nurses. Nurses do not strike for themselves; they strike to protect
their patients. And they do not take striking lightly. The nurses are
striking because they know that their current work conditions cause
potential harm to patients. Safe patient ratios lead to improved
health-care outcomes for patients. Nurses need fair wages. Nursing is
inherently stressful. Financial difficulties can lead to increased
stress. The last thing a nurse should have to worry about at the end of
their already stressful day is finances.
EG: What are the differences for nurses in union vs. non-union hospitals?
SR: Non-union facilities have significantly lower wages, significantly
higher number of patients on assignment, verbal abuse, manipulation, and
bullying from management to staff and nurses, infrequent raises, little
to no benefits—I’ve worked as a nurse without health insurance—constant
understaffing, and nepotism.
EG: What would you say to others in the medical profession in non-union
workplaces who are fed up with working conditions?
SR: Having attempted to talk to management for improvements in non-union
workplaces, I can tell you that you’ll be beating your head against a
wall, or may be targeted and pushed out of your position. This happened
to me once for discussing staffing concerns and wages in a non-union
facility. Management will not help you, but the union will. Talk to your
co-workers. Find out what problems you are experiencing in common. Then
talk to your local nursing union. The MNA here in Massachusetts are
fantastic. They are a great resource, and will help you unionize your
workplace.
EG: I read the other day that a contingent of union members in the
building trades showed up to support the striking nurses. Can you talk
about what solidarity looks like on the picket line? What did it mean
for the nurses’ strike to have such a turnout from the building trades?
SR: I was at the picket line in solidarity with Tufts nurses. I work as
a nurse on construction sites. Seeing the building trades come out in
support of the nurses was truly one of the most inspiring moments of my
life as an activist. There was an extra layer of meaning for me to see
workers who are essentially my patients come out in support of the
nurses at Tufts. The picket line was a new experience for the nurses,
most of whom have never been part of a strike before.
The building trades are more experienced in supporting striking workers,
which was evident in the energy, excitement, and militancy that they
brought with them. The nurses were overjoyed to see the showing of
solidarity. It was impactful for the nurses to see the streets flooded
with people.
EG: What has this strike meant to nurses in other hospitals?
SR: The nursing community views the strike favorably. Most nurses I have
spoken with went to the picket line to support Tufts nurses. We
understand what it’s like to want the best for our patients while being
overworked, understaffed, and underpaid, and understand that the
decision to strike does not come lightly. We are all waiting with baited
breath for the negotiations to start again.
EG: What way forward do you see for nurses at Tufts and elsewhere
fighting for wages, better conditions, and benefits?
SR: We need to continue to organize in our workplaces. Working people
united in struggle is what has made the most gains throughout history,
and will continue to do so.
Photo: The Boston Globe
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August 1, 2017 in Health care, Labor.
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