Most well said.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Loran Bailey (Redacted sender "rogerbailey81" for DMARC)"
<dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; "Carl Jarvis" <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2017 2:56 PM
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Tufts nurses strike
I think your excess labor value could also be considered a part of your dues. And by the way, communists are still infiltrating labor unions.
On 8/4/2017 11:19 AM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
As a dues paying member of the Working Class(dues are called Taxes), I
have advocated for Labor Unions from the time I was no taller than my
dad's knee. It has always made sense to me that there is strength in
numbers. The fact that the bosses put up so much resistance to their
workers organizing, should be proof enough. But Management owns the
Media and has the money(our money) to pay "experts" to point out the
flaws in Labor Unions. Of course the Working Class is shut out from
presenting their position in the Corporate Media. And of course the
Labor Unions have flaws and short comings. They are a collection of
Human Beings, with all the flaws that come with being Human Beings.
But the same is true of Management. They full well understand the
value of being organized. They just don't mention it. Management is
fully aware of the need to keep unions away from their workers, or to
undermine them if they do exist. Since this is all common knowledge,
why is it that Workers are not actively organizing labor unions from
sea to shining sea? The reasons are many. But most of them are
bogus. And most of the negative illustrations begin in the Bosses
private club rooms. Stories warning America that the Labor Unions
back in the 30's and 40's were being infiltrated by Communists, fanned
out across the radio networks and the newspapers, sowing seeds of
mistrust and suspicion among members of the Working Class. And any
time a Union Official stepped across the line, usually mismanaging
Union Funds, management was quick to broadcast it across the Free
World, without the slightest mention of the many slick and underhanded
tricks they employed to keep Labor in line. Remember, the price of
Freedom is Eternal Vigilance. Union members failed to keep control of
their Unions. They accepted a contract that gave them some increased
pay and benefits, and then went about their lives, allowing their
Union Leadership to take control, even to the point of becoming "Bed
Fellows" with Management. Eternal Vigilance calls for Eternal
Involvement. So the Working Class has succumbed to Management's
propaganda, and as a result they have seen the decline in the number
of Labor Unions, or the weakening to the point of ineffectiveness.
If we do nothing else, we should consider just who it is who owns the
TV and Radio in our homes, and who owns that daily newspaper that
arrives at our door? And furthermore, who determines what
entertainment, music and news we welcome into our homes.
Even though we paid for our radios, TV's and reading matter, we have
no input into the content. Along with the privilege of purchasing
these items, we receive the added bonus of being pounded over and over
by an ever growing number of commercials. We would never fling open
our doors to burglars. But we embrace our enemies in our homes
through their company owned devices.
It is as if we are little flies being caught in the spider's web.
Even as I write this, Management, through their billionaires in Donald
Trump's Cabinet are increasing their sticky tangle of webs around us.
"Labor Unions do nothing for you", the members of Donald Trump's
cabinet sternly tell us. And of course, as long as we believe them,
they appear to be right. Our once mighty Labor Unions are under
eternal attack. As they weaken, so do worker's wages and benefits.
As they loose membership, so does the Working Class loose any
political clout. And as they are rendered ineffective, the once proud
Union members have their very Freedom being chipped away.
All of this is happening as a part of Donald Trump's promise to "make
America Great again!"
Carl Jarvis
On 8/4/17, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I had a friend who'd worked as a nurse until she married and started a
family. When all of her children were in school fulltime, she went back to
school to take a refresher course in nursing, and then she found a nursing
position with one of the prestigious teaching hospitals in Nassau County.
But she gave up nursing after several months because she felt that the way
in which the nurses were now required to work, (and this was perhaps in the
early 80's), made it impossible to provide appropriate care for her
patients. There was never enough time to give each patient the individual
attention that he or she needed. She felt that the patients' safety was at
stake.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Frank Ventura
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2017 10:38 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Tufts nurses strike
Hi all, I work two blocks down from where this strike took place. The strike
was at 800 Washington st and I work at 600 washington st. I take paratransit
into work and our paratransit is called simply "the ride". Many patients
take paratransit into their medical appointments. I did learn from one of
the drivers that one of the vans had its windows shattered while dropping
off a passenger for an appointment (not the vanI was on). Some people don't
realize that some medical appointments take 6 months or more to schedule and
the strike was called fairly recently. I would imagine some folks were mad
at patients that crossed the picket lines butit is different from the
ppatient's perspective. I just hope the broken windows were the work of an
agent provokatuer and not a legitimate striker. I have always beena
supporter of organized labor but I'll be the first to admit that it isn't
always successful. The job I have now is the first job that I have ever had
which is unionized and honestly I don't think it helps us. As a state
employee legally we can't strike. If we did our employment is automatically
terminated and we could face criminal charges. That fact alone takes away
any real leverage that union brass tries to make it out like they really
have. In the 7 years in my unionized position I have never had a raise. It
was just the opposite in the non-unionized private sector. Organized labor
is beneficial but if the laws and public opinion don't favor them then often
they actually work against employees.
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roger Loran
Bailey
Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2017 12:28 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Tufts nurses strike
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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