Nurses Threaten To Strike Over Swine Flu

LOS ANGELES — A California nurses' union has threatened a one-day strike at 34 hospitals, accusing the providers of poor swine flu preparedness.

As many as 16,000 registered nurses will strike on Oct. 30 if state and federal swine flu protection recommendations aren't written into their contracts, said California Nurses Association spokesman Chuck Idelson.

Nurses have complained about poor access to protective N-95 masks since a 51-year-old Sacramento nurse died in July after contracting swine flu. The gear is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use while treating swine flu patients.

The strike threat comes amid negotiations between the union and Catholic Healthcare West, the largest hospital system in California, which runs 28 of the 34 hospitals that would be affected by the walkout. Talks were ongoing Monday.

"We take this issue very seriously, as we do everything that can impact the health and safety of the patients we serve and the staff who cares for those patients," said Jill Dryer, spokeswoman for Catholic Healthcare West.

In the event of a strike, hospitals would delay elective procedures and are pledging to maintain appropriate staffing levels to keep up with demand in care.

Idelson said nurses would also be prepared to abandon the strike in the event of a major emergency.

"Almost all of the hospitals are 100 percent union shops, so we expect all nurses will be participating," said Idelson.

Comments

[Irine]

AT CHW LA we have plenty of N-95 - not a problem at all, but I heard they want to cut off on health insurance coverage...

[onlysc]

A strike might be overkill a little, but being exposed like that they should have decent protection. They have a right to be upset. At least people will surely take note from the strike and hopefully give them what they need. By the way, just came across this website that will assess your symptoms and tell you if you may have swine flu, http://adam.feelingflu.com

[TruelyFedUp]

Given the current Trivalent Flu strain ,miss-named Swine Flu, and the current Vaccine Propaganda to get vaccinated, and the effects of any vaccine to potentially cause body damage. Please see the video series of DR Andrew Moulden. This is landmark research and diagnostic evidence. http://www.youtube. com/user/ informationsansp rix#p/c/5B173BE9 9A025F19/ 0/32D_nIGtSnw

I want you all to BE Well and Stay Well !

Truly

[Wilderthansome]

The mask thing is a red herring. I work at CHW in San Francisco and our nurses have never wanted for the N-95 masks we have 10,000 in storage. This is about wages and the CNA is asking for a 24%increase in pay over the next three year and free health care, turning down a 14% increase and free HMO coverage and a 45 dollar per pay period charge for PPO.
Has anyone else noted that we are in a recession that daily leaves thousands of people without health insurance. When these people get sick they still come to the ER and we still treat them money or not. Hospitals are not turning big profits in fact they are barely making enough profit to purchase updated medical equipment. In the bay area all hospitals were supposed to break ground on new earthquake proof structures by 2008 but everyone is too broke to even think about it.
I have been an ICU RN for 28 years and the only thing the union has ever done is create an us against them mentality and reduced a profession to an hourly wage job.

[blimie]

This is more about the union and not the union members. They want the government guidelines written into their contracts? They want to get fired if they don't take the vaccine? They want those expensive masks which are so uncomfortable they can't be worn for any extended period? Nurses really want to strike over this? Someone is going to make money on this and the nurses are getting taken for a ride.

[klbrz]

Just wondering:
1. Are these masks worn all the time when dealing with the public? Because, obviously there will be people in there carrying the virus and not showing symptoms.
2. Does this union insist that its members get vaccinated? I was just reading about how only 1/2 (or maybe less) of the health care workers in this country get flu vaccinations. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32586706
According to the article, "[r]esearch over the years has shown that health workers are a key source of seasonal flu." I was wondering if the same attention will be paid to availability of the vaccine to employees as the mask, as supposedly the vaccine is helpful in not getting the flu, or at least not as bad a case, and not giving it to immune compromised patients and others.

[Coastalthinker2]

It has been shown that regular face masks will not prevent people from acquiring the H1N1.

From an L.A. times article: "Respirators, on the other hand, are made for just that. They are similar in appearance to the relatively inexpensive face masks but are designed specifically to protect the wearer from breathing in such particles. These masks, known as N95 for its filtering ability, fit more snugly on the face than face masks so that most air is breathed through the filter material. They work best if they are fitted specifically to the person wearing the mask."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sciw-swine-masks28-2009apr28,0,4722242.story

If I were a nurse, I certainly would request the N95 mask also.

The Union probably isn't requiring that all health care workers get vaccinated because some of them feel it is their right to refuse vaccination. See this interesting article about mandatory vaccinations in New York.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/29/taking_liberties/entry5349581.shtml

Center for Disease Control has a great deal of information which we all should read.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

[klbrz]

Thank you for the info.

I can absolutely understand wanting the special mask, being around possible carriers every day puts everyone working in a hospital more at risk. But what I'm confused about is how they can justify going on strike to demand protection from exposure to the virus when the patients who visit their hospital have no such ability to demand protection from exposure to the virus carried by health care workers who refuse to be vaccinated (and this is a generalized argument, as this particular group may have a high vaccination rate).

I understand the reticence to require vaccinations in the general population, or even in health care workers. However, for those in the medical field who refuse, they are not just making a decision for themselves, they are making it for all of those who come to them because of an illness. This seems irresponsible, at best. In other areas of life, were this more easily detected and provable, they might even be held responsible for the resulting illness or death.

[breakingpoint]

We are turning into Community corporate China

[gunnergoz]

"Community corporate China" = Catholic hospital nurses - H1N1 vaccine - protective gear - possible strike
W.T.F. are you talking about? Can you not find something relevant to say about this story?

[breakingpoint]

forgot the glasses - Communist Corporate China

cut corner, save money, endanger workers

[DSteel]

Kind of like not giving firemen hoses, hard to do your job without proper tools.

[pene]

I agree with the nurses. However, I don't see them strking to get the profit motive out of their field. It is greed by the profit driven CATHOLIC hospital owners that makes a decision to let the nurses take their chances. Like all this coverage, it will shame them once but the profits are still there and the insurance companies, drug companies, hospital companies...they will do right when shamed but not on principle.

i applaud the nurses but they and the docs and all the other health care professionals should all go out on strike on a national day for health care.

[RationalityPlease]

Actually, the California Nurses Association has been leading the fight for health care reform and patients' safety and rights in myriad ways for quite some time now.

[janeycat]

if striking will get them what they need to stay safe and not get H1N1 and not spread it to patients
then i saw go for it.....we have already had 1 nurse to die from it......1 is 1 to many....

the unions wont let them strike, it's made public now......they can distribute the overage from one hosp to another until they all get their supplies
no brainer .... except for the pencil pushers

[rockyb26]

stand up for your rights!

[gunnergoz]

Yes, concur, they are owed their personal protection gear, just like any public health/safety worker. If they get sick, a lot more of us will too, and there will be fewer of them to treat those who need attention. Common sense.

[KO4Pres]

Didn't read the article huh?

This is not about the vaccination. It's about personal protective devices, i.e. N95 masks, not being supplied to the staff of these hospitals.

GO CNA! I support you all the way!

[hereinlou]

Well... it's comforting to know that these nurses intent of treating some of these flu patients like pariahs. Springsm is right... fear is a powerful thing.

I hope I never have the misfortune of requiring their help. Let's hope they get vaccinated & take the common sense precautions that Dr.'s our encouraging.

[tel8034]

READ THE ARTICLE

"Nurses have complained about poor access to protective N-95 masks since a 51-year-old Sacramento nurse died in July after contracting swine flu. The gear is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use while treating swine flu patients."
__________­__________­__________­_________

The greedy, profit motive hospitals have not provided the protective masks as recommended by the CDC.

So you have no problem if the nurses (who also have families) become infected with H1N1, while innoculating patients, just because the hospitals were too cheap and uncaring to protect the nurses?

[hereinlou]

Whoa.. slow down. I DID read the article. Obviously I want nurses to be safe & take nec. precautions. However, hospital settings are full of more dangerous communicable diseases & infections... try TB, for one. My only concern is that this not reach hysteria. I have a daughter with asthma... this is a rough time of year for her... but with every asthmatic cough, or throat clearing that she lets out... there is someone whipping their neck around to ask me about the H1N1 virus. All doctors (incl. Sajay Gupta, who was amongst the troops when he caught H1N1 virus... and was not seen donning a 'mask' during his interactions) have said wash hands, cough/ sneeze into elbow, use sanitizer etc. What I have read most commonly with regard to face masks, is people asking wether or not the paper face masks sold in stores are effective at blocking the transmission of H1N1... and time & time again, I hear that the face masks are not necessary (even though they are prominently on display at every Target I walk into) and that it is in fact, only the N-95 are effective anyway.

[FreedomAgain]

In the 1918 pandemic pictures, most people have masks, including those walking around outside.

http://history1900s.about.com/od/photographs/ig/1918-Spanish-Flu-Pictures/Giving-Treatment.htm

Maybe there was a reason...hmmmm

[janeycat]

yep ...a reason...not wanting to die

[roger3815]

People who babble into their hands while believing it is some sort of red-line to an invisible being should not be permitted to run hospitals.

[napasonoma]

Scary isn't it.

[mergina]

Good for YOU. To hell with this government telling us what we can or cannot do with our bodies. This flu thing is a gigantic miserable profiteering scam. Fear. A virus created in the lab and released. A propaganda campaign to create fear and panic. Lawmakers bribed to create MANDATES FOR VACCINATION. This is not America. This is the Corporately Owned States of America. LISTEN TO US OR DIE.

[Vernondelray]

Fanned and faved.

[janeycat]

would you stake your's or your family's life on it ?? OR get a shot ?
I for 1 dont know if its a scam or not but i sure wont take a chance on it not being ....
just being smart .... i have grand kids i dont want ot get it