Staffing Shortages and Pay Disputes Leading to Strikes
Around the country, healthcare workers have been going on strike over wages, safety, and staffing crises. Earlier this year, McKinley released their Spring 2021 Future of Work in Nursing survey, showing that 22% of nurses said that they may leave their direct patient care role in the next year. Healthcare workers do not want to go on strike and be away from their patients, but ultimately, they know that they cannot provide optimal care if they do not have a good, safe environment to work in. Learn more about some of the strikes, and almost strikes, that have been happening recently.
Grey’s Anatomy Season 2 Episode 15, “Break on Through”. Photo re-shared from imdb.com
Permanente Strike
For the past few weeks, workers at Kaiser Permanente have been making headlines over a potential strike of 32,000 employees in California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii. The complaints include severe understaffing at mental health clinics, raises, and a two-tier pay system in which new employees would make significantly less than current employees in the same role.
On November 13, it was reported that the strike was averted and that Kaiser Permanent and the hospital workers reached an agreement. The agreement scraps the two-tier pay system, provides wage increases, includes health and retirement benefits, and introduces a bonus plan. Voting on this tentative agreement takes place over the next few weeks, and if approved will be made retroactive to October 1, 2021.
Despite this strike aversion, Kaiser Permanent has other walkouts to worry about. Northern California engineers employed by the company have been on strike since September 18, citing meager pay and the company’s refusal to continue discussions with union representatives. Last week, almost 40,000 members of other unions voted to walk out in sympathy with the engineers. Additionally, 22,000 registered nurses in the California Nurses Association and 2,000 mental health clinicians in the National Union of Healthcare Workers will join.
Reposted from Los Angeles Time Article Strike at Kaiser Permanente averted two days before deadline
Other Strikes
In March, over 850 nurses at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital in Madison, WI narrowly avoided a strike after the organization made an agreement to increase pay and provide resources for workers to recover from working during the pandemic. Employees at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are hoping for a similar resolution. Workers plan to go on strike November 18 unless an agreement can be reached on providing a livable wage to employees including dietary workers, housekeepers, administrative assistants, and clinical staff.
Many other hospitals around the country have found that fair agreements couldn’t be reached prior to a strike. Nurses as St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA have been on strike since March. While some negotiations had been made, an August agreement by the hospital said over 100 nurses may not be able to return to the exact positions they left, meaning the strike is continuing until each nurse gets their job back. Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo, NY, has had workers on strike since October 1, with the main concerns being pay and increased staffing. On November 3, union workers for Cabell Huntington Hospital in West Virginia went on strike after negotiations fell through. Workers are fighting for safe staffing, better wages, and health insurance coverage.
Reposted from West Virginia Public Broadcasting article Hospital Workers In Huntington Strike Against Benefits Rollback
What can we do?
These strikes are not optimal for providers or their patients. What can we do to support healthcare workers and help them create a safer, healthier environment to care for patients? Let us know your thoughts.
By Tristan Dooley