Hospital hit by nurses' strike says it's hiring replacements

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts hospital crippled by a nurses’ strike that’s now entering its six month says it’s hired more than 100 replacement nurses after talks aimed at ending the standoff stalled.

St. Vincent Hospital said in a statement Sunday that it planned to post more jobs in the coming days. “Saint Vincent must take responsible action and hire as many nurses as possible to maintain access to ensure core services, as COVID numbers increase and the cooler weather approaches,” it said.

Hospital officials accused the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents the 700 striking nurses, of “minimal interest or intention to end the strike.”

The nurses, who have been on strike since March 8, are seeking staffing increases at the Worcester hospital owned by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-health-coronavirus-pandemic-strikes-7fda126327dc47ecac490d5550fa6474

[EYESORE 9001]

1. I find the prospect of receiving care from scab nurses unappealing

Instead of for-profit hospitals, we need for-patient hospitals in this country.

[GB_RN]

2. For-Profit Healthcare Is An Abomination

That screws employees and patients. The only people who have a positive outcome in a for-profit system are the executives and the shareholders. It’s immoral AF.

[Warpy]

3. Hhospital COE should have hired more nurses before the strike

and that would likely have forestalled it.

I know the MNA, I was a member, and they'll do just about anything to avoid a strike. Strikes are over working conditions, not money.

[MissMillie]

19. From what I understand, it is about patient/nurse ratios

And the union's argument is that it should depend on the patients and how much attention they need... which is absolutely correct.

[Warpy]

21. IOW, working conditions

Hospitals are run by MBAs who would be better suited to big box stores. They've been cutting staff and increasing nurse:patient ratios for years and years. Nurses are at the breaking point now, Covid patients are much sicker than the usual run they're overworked with.

It's not just nurses, housekeeping has also been cut to the bone, meaning nurses often have to take up the slack there, too.

Our system is just about ready to buckle and fail completely.

[MissMillie]

22. exactly

FWIW... I used to work at a prestigious Business School, and they offered a joint MD/MBA degree (in concert with the University's Medical School).

Seems to me that this kind of education is necessary... for-profit hospitals probably don't don't see the need.

[mitch96]

4. With a nursing shortage due to Covid/burnout.. where are they getting nurses??

Years ago it was from Ireland, England, Scotland and the Philippines. Where are they getting them now?
m

[AllyCat]

7. Same and then even farther away

One of the nurses at our hospital used to work at a local rehab hospital and she said many of them could barely speak English. They worked for half what the local RNs made and had to sign a lengthy, multi-year contract and pay a huge penalty for leaving early.

My neighbor's mother caught Covid at this facility and died.

[mitch96]

11. "she said many of them could barely speak English.

That people from english speaking countries could speak the language.. I knew many Irish and UK nurses and xray techs in the NYC hospital system... I know, for me understanding people from south Asia is difficult
Two countries separated by a common language!
m

[multigraincracker]

8. How will 100 nurses replace 700?

Good luck with that

[Evolve Dammit]

5. God this country is fucked up. Corporatization of everything and no accountability. I'm sure Tenet

Health"care" could care less.

[AllyCat]

6. Those replacement nurses come at a massive cost.

Our hospital threatened the same thing and ultimately found that it would cost them MILLIONS extra than just paying what we were asking and providing some Covid relief for us. This MA hospital is playing the same game. It does not save them money...they are just trying to have their way or the highway.

[multigraincracker]

9. Greed, spend millions to save a penny.

Union busters.

[mitch96]

12. +1

[Sherman A1]

10. Yup,

They will burn themselves in the process of hiring scabs.

[jaxexpat]

14. That horse has left the barn. They burned themselves when they sold out to a Texas based outfit.

I had always hoped Massachusetts would remain a beacon of hope for a nation that isn't part of the southern style," good old boy" network. But apparently money talks, even to America's bluebloods. Welcome to 2021, Worcester.

[FlyingPiggy]

15. Yep! The hospitals are gonna pay dearly for this.

[bluestarone]

13. No money to hire MORE staff BUT

Money to hire STRIKE BREAKER SCABS!

[FlyingPiggy]

16. That has been a hospital practice for decades. Nothing new.

They abuse core nursing staff and wonder why there’s a nursing shortage.

[marble falls]

17. Extremely mixed feelings.

[Lunabell]

18. It cost a LOT of money to hire agency nurses.

This is just union busting!!

[GB_RN]

20. Ask Tenant Health How Much $$ Is Available For CEO Pay

Vs how much money was available for nursing and other staffing pay, which caused the strike to start with. Tenant, being for-profit, won't pay shit to staff their hospitals properly (nor will other for-profit chains like HCA, etc). But will pay their execs $$ out the wazoo, and make sure that they "maximize shareholder value" at the expense of all others (including patients).

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: For-profit healthcare is EVIL. In fact, it's not even "healthcare", IMO.