Nurses

National Nurses United and their allies rallied today at the New York Stock Exchange. During the rally they demand a tax on Wall Street transactions. This tax they declare will ensure that "the yo-yos that buy and sell this country pay their fare share" to heal America. 

Over the weekend, a hospital patient came to the picket line pleading not to be sent back inside of the hospital due to reportedly bad nursing care.  In response to these troubling incidences, the union for nurses and healthcare professionals at Temple has filed a report with the Department of Health on Monday, April 19, 2010.

Nurses and other healthcare professionals share stories that expose the impact on patients when Temple Hospital maximizes profits by cutting medical supplies, understaffing and decreasing patients' length of stay at the hospital. PASNAP (Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals) are striking over a contract that would institute a 'gag clause,' effectively barring these health professionals from advocating for patient safety.

WE, the Temple workers are standing strong in our efforts to show temple that we are to be respected and valued for what we do everyday. It is a tough battle but still one definately worth fighting.

Editors Note: Carolyn is a GI technician at Temple Hospital. She participated in a media training class MMP put on with the United Way last fall. She is a member and leader of the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP) currently on the picket line.

On Wednesday, 1,500 nurses and staff in Temple University Health System (TUHS) will go on strike demanding higher quality patient care, the right to free speech, reasonable health care costs, cost of living raises and tuition remission for family members attending Temple University. The gap between the nurses and TUHS is wide and a strike, potentially a prolonged strike, seems certain. While there are many issues that could be discussed regarding this strike, the most appalling is the money issue.

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) is winning an ongoing battle against Temple University Hospital. PASNAP wants reimbursement for tuition benefits that Temple abruptly stopped providing last March despite the fact that the benefits are part of their current contract. Jerry Silberman, staff representative, spoke with me about this legal fight and also discussed PASNAP's negotiations for a new contract.

In this audio piece, Kate Harkins, of Temple University's Student Labor Action Project (SLAP) discusses what she learned from listening to the stories of Temple Nurses and Allied Professionals (members of PASNAP).