NEW YORK NURSE: December 2007
by Mark Genovese
Things were looking bleak on the strike line in November.
More than 800 registered nurses, members of the Kentucky and West Virginia state nurses associations, had been on strike against the Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) system since Sept. 30.
Their employer refused time and again to listen to their concerns about poor staffing and mandatory overtime. It hired “scab” nurses to prolong the strike and a consultant to break the union.
It was nearly impossible for the nurses to find temporary work in the rural and mountainous region where healthcare facilities are few and far between.
One nurse could no longer pay bills or buy groceries. A second couldn’t pay for chemotherapy. A third tried to take her baby to her regular physician, but didn’t have the $60 required for the visit. A fourth was barely able to scrape together $1,200 to cover the COBRA payment for that month, and it wasn’t looking good for the next.
The strike had taken its toll on the two nurses associations, as well. They needed to distribute a flyer, but no longer had the money to print it. The best they could provide for a strike headquarters was a tent made by placing a tarp over a frame. With winter approaching, they were desperately in need of a source of heat. The distance hindered the ability of strikers to communicate with each other – the nine ARH facilities were literally hundreds of miles apart.
The nurses were weary and desperate for help.
That’s when NYSNA stepped in.
Delegate Assembly President Barbara Crane and Economic and General Welfare (EGW) Program Director Lorraine Seidel first heard details about the difficulties the Kentucky and West Virginia nurses were facing when they traveled in late October to Lexington to give the RNs a $10,000 check.
They met with the strike leaders and learned that effective strike management was desperately needed. Just a few days later, EGW program staff Eileen Schneider, Valerie Zito, and Lisa Ruiz volunteered to help however they could. The three traveled more than 1,000 miles to visit the nine strike sites and gave nurses copies of NYSNA’s Contract Campaign and Strike Manual, as well as whistles, clackers, and “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes” T-shirts.
The three coached the strikers on collecting member contact lists, assigning picket schedules and captains, designating committees to build community support, improving internal and external communication, and establishing an intelligence-gathering network. More EGW staff are planning to volunteer as the strike continues.
NYSNA also encouraged contributions of more than $26,000 from RNs in New York, Washington state, Oregon, and Ohio and coordinated efforts with other AFL-CIO unions to increase the strikers’ visibility. RNs and staff from nurses associations throughout the nation were planning to pitch in during Thanksgiving to maintain the lines and allow striking nurses to spend the holiday with their families.
“I am so proud of the incredible way that our staff and members have stepped up to the plate to help their colleagues in Kentucky and West Virginia,” Seidel said. “These nurses are in the fight of their lives and we thank everyone for making a difference.”
NYSNA will continue to assist in the strike efforts and urges its members to make a donation to support the ARH nurses. Every cent will go directly to them. For information, see NYSNA’s website at www.nysna.org.