Smiling Tiger Loves When You Donate Monthly
Sponsoring FReepers leapfrog0202 and another person will contribute $10
Each time a new monthly donor signs up!
Get more bang for your buck
Sign up today
Save one of our very best FReepers, Lazamataz
Posted on 05/05/2011 10:41:12 AM PDT by SmithL
A union representing 750 registered nurses at Children's Hospital Oakland began a five-day strike Thursday morning.
The hospital is bringing in temporary nurses and remaining open during the walkout, which began Thursday morning and is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Representatives of California Nurses Association-National Nurses United have tried to negotiate a new contract for nearly a year. Their previous agreement expired in July.
The major hurdle in the talks has been what nurses describe as "take-aways" in health benefits. In the past, the hospital paid the entire cost of premiums.
The latest hospital proposal would give nurses three options: a Kaiser Permanente plan, a high-deductible PPO, and a PPO plan that would require nurses to pay nearly $4,000 a year to help offset rising premiums.
The Kaiser plan would not require an employee contribution, but many nurses prefer a PPO plan so they can have a greater choice of doctors and continue to have their children cared for at Children's Hospital, Martha Kuhl, a registered nurse and member of the union negotiating team, said last week.
Hospital spokeswoman Cynthia Chiarappa said last week that the changes have been driven by skyrocketing premiums and the financial struggles of the 190-bed hospital, which lost $15 million in 2010 and $26 million in 2009.
(Excerpt) Read more at insidebayarea.com ...
Fire them now and hire new people IMMEDIATELY. How they could do this to children is beyond reasoning.
Fire them all. There isn’t exactly a shortage of nurses anymore.
Coming soon to a healthcare facility near you . . . if Obama and his union thugs have their way.
Funny....I AM a nurse and I work at a children’s hospital. These people are not professionals - they are union hacks. I pray these union thugs don’t come to my state.
*sigh* I’m sure this will spread all over the nation. The sad this is, nurses by & large are disgruntled & do have tough working conditions. I just think SEIU-types have honed in on them seeing an opportunity.
And how is the $4K deductible requirement different that what I have to do? I’m a full time engineering employee - and have the same requirement - you really can’t get other than that in today’s market.
Fire em all!
“It’s for the children.”
Here is the pledge that nurses take
The Nightengale Pledge:
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician, in his work, and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
To children? I'm sorry my miguided little serf they are on strike for the children.
You racist union busting wingnuts just don't understand, it's ALL for the children. /s
This is sad. My wife came to the USA as a nurse many years ago. She has strong opinions on today’s nurses. While many nurses we have come across are highly professional some are pretty lazy, sloppy and hostile. Unions have a lot to do with this as it is too difficult to discipline or fire sub-par nurses. Strikes drive my wife right up the wall. Patient care comes last in a union environment and is left to the pride and dedication of the individual nurse.
Strikes by health care providers will become common especially as government imposes price controls. I have no sympathy with this leftist group although I may have sympathy with physicians hobbled by government mandates, low reimbursement rates, and slow payments.
The requirement for employee copays is not a take back. It merely reflects the increasing cost of medical care, partly fueled by the aging of the population. I just looked at my plan choices as a university professor in Colorado. I have two low cost choices (about $250 per month for a family plan). These two plans place strong restrictions on providers and have rather high copays. Seeing specialists in these plans is difficult. Waiting times are long.
Since my daughter has lupus, I need a plan with better access to specialists. The plan with a better choice of physicians has a monthly premium of $700+ for a family. This plan does not allow out of network physicians except for emergencies but the network choice of physicians is much better. The total cost for this plan is $1,600+ per month with the taxpayers paying $900 and employee paying $700. I will probably choose this plan.
I thank the taxpayers of Colorado for providing a health care plan and paying $900 premiums. Health care is expensive and important. These nurses are ingrates, out of touch with total compensation costs.
I work at CHO.This isn’t about nurses,it isn’t about health care ,it isn’t about the children, this is strictly about the union and its power.The union is nothing but an extension of the democrats.This union, CNA, crawled into bed with the AFL-CIO and various socialist organizations.At the helm since 1993 is admitted socialist RoseAnn Demoro .
Sorry surroundedbyblue,but chances are the tentacles of this
union are reaching out.The union spends millions of dollars of dues just to get to your state and nurses
Yep, I work for one of the biggest computer companies in the world and I pay a little over $500 per month.
I know you’re right, but I pray you’re wrong.
I find it pretty “funny” that Califonia is NOT a Nursing Compact State so I guess that you have to take(and PAY FOR) the Califonia State “Nusring Board””Test” to get your License to be a nurse in CA. Pretty Rigged state in my opinion.
Are they doing it “for the children”..?
Ye,Yes And Yes.
Fire them and boot out the union thugs.
I work for our county and I pay over $570 a month, plus increasing co-pays, and we are looking at major paycuts as well. We all seem to understand the situation just fine.
To think of leaving a sick child alone to go on strike for more money is sick. If my kid was in that hospital, those nurses better get some body guards.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.