Mission nurses threaten strike – TribPapers

The DSA has set up a strike fund for the mission’s nurses. Screenshot.

Ashville – Unionized nurses at Mission Hospital have threatened to strike if the hospital does not make acceptable concessions in the next round of collective bargaining. Mark Klein has made frequent public appearances on behalf of the nurses. Klein, a vascular access nurse who has worked at Mission for half a century, says the hospital needs to ensure even better protections against patient violence, breaks for nurses, adequate staffing levels and adequate compensation for employees.

Mission Hospital spokeswoman Nancy Lindell said the hospital made “an important proposal that will address nurses’ concerns about workplace safety by enhancing our existing safety measures.” Those measures included equipping staff with assault badges with alarm buttons, providing de-escalation training to staff in high-intensity care units, hiring a Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT), offering a course at the Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) led by a certified CPI instructor with 30 years of experience, conducting BERT drills throughout the hospital and having sworn police officers in the emergency department.

Breaks seemed to be neglected by both sides. North Carolina, a right-to-work state, does not require employers to provide breaks, even though the mission’s nurses typically work 12-hour shifts. The long shifts are considered better for patients because they improve continuity of care, as there are fewer errors and omissions at shift changes, and they strengthen the bond between patient and nurse.

There has been a lot of talk about the staff cuts that were made after HCA bought Mission in 2019. Then came COVID and the big wave of layoffs. A recent WLOS report says the hospital was still short 448 nurses in May. Advertisements offering signing bonuses continue to be posted.

One concession from Mission was that the hospital would use AI to better assist nurses in caring for their patients, but would not replace them. Klein argued that nothing can replace the personal touch of human interaction with patients.

Most of the attention seems to have been focused on nurses’ pay. According to a July update from Glassdoor, salaries for nurses at Mission, including overtime, range from $68,000 to $89,000, with the median salary right in the middle. Indeed says the average salary is $98,055, but recent job postings largely factor into the calculations. Additionally, traveling nurses tend to make more.

In a video on the Mission Nurses United Facebook page, Klein said Mission offered nurses a 3.5% raise over three years. “With housing costs rising and food costs rising and vehicle costs rising and the overall costs due to inflation, we can’t afford to miss a day and strike. We’re literally talking about a financial gain to make life sustainable in Western North Carolina or a financial loss. If we don’t sign a strike pledge or at least threaten to strike, the hospital doesn’t have to give us anything. Staffing levels will stay the same, which is ridiculous staffing levels. Wages will be stagnant.”

Lindell disagreed. “Salaries vary in the hospital’s current pay proposal; many nurses would receive a total increase of between 11.5% and 12.5% ​​over the life of the contract. We have repeatedly explained our proposal to the union, and it is disappointing but not surprising that they are intentionally misrepresenting our proposal to pursue their own interests. In addition to our current pay increase offer, Mission has also granted a $20 million annual salary increase in 2022 outside and above the current contract.”

Klein advised nurses who might be hard hit by the strike to take on extra shifts. He did not expect the strike to last more than a day, however. He said the hospital could respond with a lockout, but that would be very expensive and would require postponement of elective surgeries. Klein said the nurses are not striking because they want more money, but to resolve conditions that put the hospital in imminent danger of losing its Medicare funding.

However, Lindell said, “If the leadership of the National Nurses Union does indeed decide to strike, Mission Hospital will remain open. We are grateful to be part of HCA Healthcare, which has the resources to support the needs of our patients. We have taken proactive steps, including hiring fully qualified, licensed and certified nursing staff who can provide high-quality care to the communities we serve.”

Mission employs about 1,600 nurses, about half of whom are unionized. The union has asked nurses to sign a strike notice to notify the hospital. If negotiations fail on July 16, nurses can call a strike. Because of the nature of the job, they are required to notify the hospital 10 days before a strike. Strikes are looming at 17 HCA hospitals, Klein said.