Minnesota nurses struggle vs. lockouts

A 24-hour strike by 12,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association concluded at 7 a.m. on June 11.

It was the single largest nursing strike in the history of the United States. The excitement of history in the making had been palpable in the voices, chants, songs and faces of the determined nurses on picket lines. “We are the union — the mighty, mighty union. We are fighting for patient safety — for nurses’ safety — for better health care. Against the greedy bosses — the greedy, greedy bosses — against the greedy management. Shame on them.”

The one-day strike got strong backing from the labor movement and the public.

On the picket line, Robert Kasper, president of the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation told Fight Back!, “On behalf of the 50,000 union members and the 120 labor unions, we are proud to stand behind the Minnesota Nurses Association. [This strike] has been long overdue. Nurses need better working conditions. The public is behind the nurses. The world will be watching this strike, the country will be watching this strike, and the unions will be watching this strike and the outcome.”

The MNA reports that some Twin Cities hospitals illegally locked out nurses at the end of the strike by not following language in the labor contract regarding how nurses are supposed to be called back to work. The MNA has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board.

The MNA is continuing the struggle for a decent contract. Key outstanding issues include staffing levels that insure patient safety and pensions.

On June 10 the strikers, wearing red, picketed area hospitals. “The CEOs are fat cats, driving in their Cadillacs, while we’re breaking our backs,” they chanted.

“All the nurses are fired up and are behind the strike. We are standing up for patients’ safety and the safety of all the nurses,” said Sheila, a veteran nurse who has worked at Bethesda Hospital in Saint Paul for five years. “Nurses just don’t give out medications, we do much more. We like to spend time with each patient to really listen to them and their needs. Just simply being at their bedside is priceless for them.”

A newer nurse working at Bethesda brought her family to the picket line. She said, “I love my job and being a nurse. We are striking to raise awareness regarding patient safety. Though I worry that this one-day strike may not be enough and may end up being a longer strike. However, we are prepared for it.” Many nurses echoed that sentiment, saying that they are ready to go all the way if this one-day strike doesn’t get the results that nurses are demanding.

At Fairview Riverside Hospital in Minneapolis, nurses reported that 400-500 were picketing at mid-day on June 10. A group of surgical nurses related how they reported for the start of their shift at 5:30 a.m. and then walked out of the hospital at 7 a.m. to a large chanting crowd of fired-up nurses on the picket line.

Margaret Adedji, a staff nurse from Fairview Riverside, spoke about why she was striking. “The pensions are a big thing. If the hospitals and CEOs are making so much money, they can give it back to the workers. They are taking advantage of this economic crisis to set a precedent for the future of nurses.”

One striker at Fairview held a sign that read: “Fairview profit 2009 — $155,030,000.” It further detailed that the CEO of Fairview, Mark Eustis, makes $1.01 million per year, which equals $486.54 per hour.

At Minneapolis’ Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, close to a thousand nurses covered the sidewalks and streets encircling the complex. Allina, the corporate health “system” for the hospital, paid CEO Ken Paulus a shocking $1.74 million in 2009. At rush hour, honks filled the air as supporters drove by.

At Fairview Southdale, a large suburban hospital, more than 400 were already on the picket lines by 7 a.m. By 10 p.m. more than 200 nurses were prepared to picket throughout the night. “We are not going to give up until we get our demands met for safe patient care and to keep our benefits we’ve earned over all these years,” stated Margaret Sarfehjooy, who has been a nurse at Fairview Southdale for 23 years. “The hospitals should be more concerned about patient care than CEO salaries.”

Based on reports in Fight Back! (fightbacknews.org), the online news service of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.