過去幾年,由于薪酬水平低下和更加困難的工作環(huán)境導(dǎo)致基層醫(yī)療護(hù)理人員大量流失,美國對護(hù)士的需求日益增多。
周一,明尼蘇達(dá)州數(shù)千名護(hù)士舉行罷工,抗議惡劣的工作環(huán)境。
來自圣保羅明尼阿波利斯16家醫(yī)院的15,000多位護(hù)士舉行罷工,周邊區(qū)域也參與進(jìn)來,這是美國史上規(guī)模最大的私人行業(yè)護(hù)士罷工。
參與罷工的護(hù)士都是明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會(Minnesota Nurses Association,MNA)的工會成員,她們在上個(gè)月經(jīng)過表決決定舉行罷工。護(hù)士們在9月1日公布了罷工計(jì)劃,并遵守法律規(guī)定,在準(zhǔn)備罷工之前至少提前10天通知了雇主。此次罷工預(yù)計(jì)將持續(xù)三天。
護(hù)士們的三年合約在5月到期,在此次罷工之前,她們就新合約進(jìn)行了多次談判,但并未成功。
談判從3月開始,談判的重點(diǎn)包括人才保留、人手不足和護(hù)士工作量過重等問題。
明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會主席、注冊護(hù)士瑪麗·C.特納在宣布罷工的新聞發(fā)布會上表示:“護(hù)士們并非草率做出罷工的決定,而是我們決定在談判桌上并且如果有必要到街頭表明我們的立場,希望我們的醫(yī)院將患者放在盈利之前。”
康奈爾大學(xué)(Cornell University)工業(yè)與勞動關(guān)系學(xué)院教授李·阿德勒對《財(cái)富》雜志表示,罷工的目的可能是表達(dá)護(hù)士們對談判過程的不滿。他表示:“這次罷工規(guī)模龐大,我們以前從未見過如此規(guī)模的罷工。”他還表示,罷工的時(shí)間相對較短,表明這只是護(hù)士們希望給雇主“提個(gè)醒”,而不是試圖干擾患者護(hù)理。
雙城醫(yī)院(Twin Cities Hospitals)作為受影響醫(yī)院的代表,表示罷工本可以避免。
雙城醫(yī)院的發(fā)言人保羅·奧姆德特在向《財(cái)富》雜志提供的聲明中表示:“雙城醫(yī)院集團(tuán)對護(hù)士工會在沒有盡最大努力達(dá)成協(xié)議之前選擇罷工感到失望。需要明確的是:工會選擇罷工是單方面的決定。”
奧姆德特表示,在護(hù)士罷工期間,受影響的醫(yī)院將繼續(xù)配備護(hù)士長和其他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、替代護(hù)士和流動護(hù)士等。他表示:“人們可能要等待更長的服務(wù)時(shí)間,醫(yī)護(hù)團(tuán)隊(duì)會對患者進(jìn)行分流。”
明尼蘇達(dá)州衛(wèi)生部(Minnesota Department of Health,MDH)將在罷工期間密切監(jiān)控醫(yī)院的狀況,確保醫(yī)院能夠繼續(xù)提供恰當(dāng)?shù)淖o(hù)理服務(wù)。
這次罷工的時(shí)機(jī),正值美國人對工會的支持度達(dá)到半個(gè)世紀(jì)以來最高水平的時(shí)候。本月早些時(shí)候,蓋洛普(Gallup)的最新工作與教育調(diào)查(Work and Education Survey)顯示,71%的受訪者表示支持加入工會。上一次支持率這么高還是在1965年。
阿德勒表示,明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會的罷工表明勞動者的權(quán)力越來越大。他表示:“即使是嚴(yán)肅的勞動關(guān)系觀察者幾乎都會猜想,未來是否會發(fā)生規(guī)模更大的罷工。”他指出,美國有數(shù)以千計(jì)的鐵路工人計(jì)劃最早在下周舉行罷工。
他說道:“勞動者不愿意日復(fù)一日繼續(xù)充當(dāng)維持系統(tǒng)完整的‘萬能膠’。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
過去幾年,由于薪酬水平低下和更加困難的工作環(huán)境導(dǎo)致基層醫(yī)療護(hù)理人員大量流失,美國對護(hù)士的需求日益增多。
周一,明尼蘇達(dá)州數(shù)千名護(hù)士舉行罷工,抗議惡劣的工作環(huán)境。
來自圣保羅明尼阿波利斯16家醫(yī)院的15,000多位護(hù)士舉行罷工,周邊區(qū)域也參與進(jìn)來,這是美國史上規(guī)模最大的私人行業(yè)護(hù)士罷工。
參與罷工的護(hù)士都是明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會(Minnesota Nurses Association,MNA)的工會成員,她們在上個(gè)月經(jīng)過表決決定舉行罷工。護(hù)士們在9月1日公布了罷工計(jì)劃,并遵守法律規(guī)定,在準(zhǔn)備罷工之前至少提前10天通知了雇主。此次罷工預(yù)計(jì)將持續(xù)三天。
護(hù)士們的三年合約在5月到期,在此次罷工之前,她們就新合約進(jìn)行了多次談判,但并未成功。
談判從3月開始,談判的重點(diǎn)包括人才保留、人手不足和護(hù)士工作量過重等問題。
明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會主席、注冊護(hù)士瑪麗·C.特納在宣布罷工的新聞發(fā)布會上表示:“護(hù)士們并非草率做出罷工的決定,而是我們決定在談判桌上并且如果有必要到街頭表明我們的立場,希望我們的醫(yī)院將患者放在盈利之前。”
康奈爾大學(xué)(Cornell University)工業(yè)與勞動關(guān)系學(xué)院教授李·阿德勒對《財(cái)富》雜志表示,罷工的目的可能是表達(dá)護(hù)士們對談判過程的不滿。他表示:“這次罷工規(guī)模龐大,我們以前從未見過如此規(guī)模的罷工。”他還表示,罷工的時(shí)間相對較短,表明這只是護(hù)士們希望給雇主“提個(gè)醒”,而不是試圖干擾患者護(hù)理。
雙城醫(yī)院(Twin Cities Hospitals)作為受影響醫(yī)院的代表,表示罷工本可以避免。
雙城醫(yī)院的發(fā)言人保羅·奧姆德特在向《財(cái)富》雜志提供的聲明中表示:“雙城醫(yī)院集團(tuán)對護(hù)士工會在沒有盡最大努力達(dá)成協(xié)議之前選擇罷工感到失望。需要明確的是:工會選擇罷工是單方面的決定。”
奧姆德特表示,在護(hù)士罷工期間,受影響的醫(yī)院將繼續(xù)配備護(hù)士長和其他領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者、替代護(hù)士和流動護(hù)士等。他表示:“人們可能要等待更長的服務(wù)時(shí)間,醫(yī)護(hù)團(tuán)隊(duì)會對患者進(jìn)行分流。”
明尼蘇達(dá)州衛(wèi)生部(Minnesota Department of Health,MDH)將在罷工期間密切監(jiān)控醫(yī)院的狀況,確保醫(yī)院能夠繼續(xù)提供恰當(dāng)?shù)淖o(hù)理服務(wù)。
這次罷工的時(shí)機(jī),正值美國人對工會的支持度達(dá)到半個(gè)世紀(jì)以來最高水平的時(shí)候。本月早些時(shí)候,蓋洛普(Gallup)的最新工作與教育調(diào)查(Work and Education Survey)顯示,71%的受訪者表示支持加入工會。上一次支持率這么高還是在1965年。
阿德勒表示,明尼蘇達(dá)護(hù)士協(xié)會的罷工表明勞動者的權(quán)力越來越大。他表示:“即使是嚴(yán)肅的勞動關(guān)系觀察者幾乎都會猜想,未來是否會發(fā)生規(guī)模更大的罷工。”他指出,美國有數(shù)以千計(jì)的鐵路工人計(jì)劃最早在下周舉行罷工。
他說道:“勞動者不愿意日復(fù)一日繼續(xù)充當(dāng)維持系統(tǒng)完整的‘萬能膠’。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
翻譯:劉進(jìn)龍
審校:汪皓
Over the past few years, the U.S. has faced increased demand for nurses amid an exodus in frontline health care providers—the result of low pay and more difficult working conditions.
On Monday, thousands of nurses in Minnesota left work to protest those conditions.
With over 15,000 nurses from 16 hospitals in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and the surrounding region participating, the work stoppage represents the largest private sector nurse strike in U.S. history.
The nurses, all unionized members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), voted to move forward with the strike last month. They announced the plan on Sept. 1, adhering to a legal requirement that health care workers provide at least 10 days’ notice to their employer when preparing for a work stoppage. The strike is expected to last three days.
The nurse’s three-year contract expired in May, and today’s strike follows a series of unsuccessful bargaining sessions for a new contract.
Central to those sessions, which began in March, have been negotiations around retention, understaffing, and overwork among nurses.
“Nurses do not take this decision lightly, but we are determined to take a stand at the bargaining table, and on the sidewalk if necessary, to put patients before profits in our hospitals,” said MNA president Mary C. Turner, RN, in a press release announcing the strike.
Lee Adler, a professor at Cornell University’s school of industrial and labor relations, told Fortune that the strike’s purpose is likely to underscore workers’ frustration with the ongoing negotiation process. “It’s so large, we’ve never seen anything so expansive,” he said, adding that the relatively limited time frame for the strike shows that it’s more of a “wake-up call” for the nurses’ employers than any attempt to interfere with patient care.
Twin Cities Hospitals, which represents the impacted hospitals, says that the strike could have been avoided.
“The Twin Cities Hospitals Group is deeply disappointed that the nurses’ union has chosen to strike before exhausting all efforts to reach an agreement,” said Paul Omodt, a spokesperson for the group, in a statement to Fortune. “To be clear: The union’s choice to strike is theirs and theirs alone.”
While the nurses strike, the affected hospitals will continue to be staffed by nurse managers and other leaders, replacement nurses, and traveling nurses, according to Omodt. “People may experience longer wait times for services while care teams triage patients,” he said.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will monitor the hospitals throughout the strike to ensure they continue to provide proper care.
The strikes come as more Americans support labor unions than at any time in half a century. Earlier this month, Gallup’s most recent Work and Education Survey revealed that 71% now say they support organized labor. The last time approval was so high was in 1965.
The MNA’s strike is a sign that worker power continues to be strong, said Adler. “It almost makes the serious observer of labor relations wonder whether a more massive set of work stoppages are on the horizon,” he said, noting that thousands of rail workers in the U.S. are in a position to strike as early as next week.
“Workers are no longer willing to be the daily, quote, Super Glue to hold these systems together,” he said.