Plan Ahead!

Fund Raiser for Striking Nurses at "Sh'Booms"

DATE: Thursday, May 18, 2000
TIME: 5:00 - 9:00 PM
PLACE: Sh'Booms . 215 Main Street . Worcester

Sh' Booms Entertainment Complex in Worcester has generously donated their
nightclub for a fundraiser to support the St. Vincent Hospital Nurses Strike
Fund.

Enjoy a night of Dining and Dancing. Evening Includes a Buffet Dinner, Cash
Bar & Disc Jockey. Admission is on a first-come, first served basis. Must be
21 or over with Positive I.D.

$10 donation gets you into the party.and helps ensure safe care for the
future. Tickets also available at the St. Vincent Strike Office, 29 Endicott
Street, Worcester Mass. 508-792-2181. All Proceeds Support the Nurses' Strike
Fund. For more information, call the nurses' strike office at 508-792-2181.

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Message from Illinois Nurse Leader:

To all the striking nurses I send my letter of warm appreciation. I am a
Registered Nurse living in Illinois and watching this unfold from the very
beginning. I am very proud of what all of you are doing for nurses
everywhere. I am currently on the negotiating team for our new contract with
the State of Illinois. I am an active member of Illinois Nurses Association.
We are asking for contract language that states No Mandatory overtime. I for
one understand your position very well as I am currently being mandated on
the average of at least twice a week. I worked 16 hours just yesterday and
must return to work at 3:30 pm today. Stand strong and stay united the
treatment that nurses are receiving across the country are inhumane and must
be stopped. Thank you for what you are doing.
Sincerely and in Unity,
Deborah Reed, RN
INA RC 23
Zeller Mental Health Center
Peoria, Illinois

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NYACK NURSES STRIKE UPDATE

Nyack Strike Update: End of Week 20
Nyack RNs to Hold Special Morning "Scab Patrols" Sunday and Monday
Next Negotiations at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday

Striking registered nurses at Nyack Hospital will hold special "scab patrols"
on Sunday and Monday, May 7 and 8. The RNs' goal is to demonstrate to
hospital management that they will not return to work until they are offered
a fair contract that solves the hospital's serious staffing problems.

Picketing will begin at 6:30 a.m. on both days. The RNs chose May 7 and 8 for
mass picketing because hospital management had designated these days for the
nurses to return to work, if they had approved a tentative agreement last
week. The next negotiation session has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 10, at the Orangeburg Holiday Inn. But NYSNA expects the
hospital will not offer any progress at the table until they feel more
pressure.

The RNs rejected a proposed five-year contract because it went only halfway
toward solving the staffing problem. Although the proposal provided for
creating minimum staffing guidelines, it did not offer a competitive benefit
package - a key element to recruiting and retaining qualified and experienced
RNs. Turnover has seriously reduced RN staffing at the hospital in the past
few years.

The nurses have been on strike since December 21, 1999.

ANA to Run Ad, Visit the Line for Nurses Week Commemoration

The American Nurses Association plans to run an ad in this Sunday's
Journal-News, expressing its support for the strike and their outrage at
hospital administration. Representatives from the ANA - Anna Gilmore-Hall,
director of State Government Relations and Constituent Member Development,
and Linda Stierle, acting executive director - are planning to join us for
our Nurses Week commemoration on May 13. The association's president, Mary
Foley, stopped by the line last week.

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Summary of important web sites for strike news and background information:


<http://www.massnurses.org> for the most thorough official news and
background from MNA.

<http://www.nursingworld.org> for news of support actions by ANA.

<http://www.nysna.org/news/press00/nyack.htm> for the latest developments in
Nyack, NY.

<http://www.califnurses.org> for Tenet Watch and great contract language on
mandatory OT.

<http://users.rcn.com/wbumpus/worcester.html> for an archive of these daily
bulletins.

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Message from Striking Nurse:

Thanks for all the continuing updates and mail. I can't tell you how much it
means to me to have everyone's support. I picket just about every other day,
but at night 10P to 2A. We don't always get info at those hours.

I have not got a 'no' from the T+G on the revamped article yet, so I am
hopeful it will be published. The policemen on our picket line will by the
paper for the first time if it is print. That is a plus for me as well as my
peers on the line.

Thank you again for everything you do. Yours as always, Patti Stanton

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Anti-Corporate Humor from Nurse Activist Laura Delaney:

From my transcultural nursing list- some non-clinical faux pas:
Laura
************************************************************************

Thought my transcultural colleagues would enjoy these.

Nova Award Nominees

These are the nominees for the Chevy Nova Award. This is given out in honor
of the GM's fiasco in trying to market thiscar in Central and South America.
"No va" means, of course, in Spanish, "it doesn't go".

1. The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?"
prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their
attention the Spanish translation read "Are you lactating?"

2. Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was read as
"Suffer From Diarrhea."

3. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an
American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux."

4. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into Germany only to
find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use for the
"Manure Stick."

5. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same
packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they
learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of
what's inside, since many people can't read.

6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a
notorious porno magazine.

7. An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market
which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the
shirts read "I Saw the Potato" (la papa).

8. Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi
Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese.

9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela," meaning "Bite
the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax," depending on the
dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent
"kokou kole," translating into "happiness in the mouth."

10. Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender
chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused man to make a
chicken affectionate."

11. When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were
supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." The
company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) meant to embarrass,
so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant!"

12. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class
seats in the Mexican market, it translated its "Fly In Leather" campaign
literally, which meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish!

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Rally for Safe Hospitals

Because every patient deserves quality care!

Tuesday, May 9

4:30 - 6:00 PM
Rhode Island State House
South Steps

You don't have to be an expert to know our health care system is in crisis.
If you or a loved one has been in any hospital lately, you have probably seen
for yourself how patient care is all too often lacking. That's because
staffing cuts are putting patients at risk.

We deserve better. Join hundreds of health care professionals, labor unions,
community advocates and patients and their families to rally for safe
hospitals. There will be exciting speakers from across the country, along
with music, skits, giant puppets and balloons for the kids!

With your help, we will let everyone in the State House know that when it
comes to quality hospital care, we're worth it!

Hosted by the United Nurses & Allied Professionals

For additional information, call UNAP at 401-831-3647.

(Ed.'s Note: UNAP send a strong delegation to the Nurses' Day celebration at
Worcester Medical Center on 5/7, even though that wasn't reflected in the
article below. We're hoping a respectable Massachusetts delegation will be
able to stand up for patient safety and quality care at the Rhode Island
rally. -- SE)

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Nurses Day celebrated on picket line

Nation's nurses support pickets

Monday, May 8, 2000

By Linda Bock, Telegram & Gazette Staff

WORCESTER-- The resolve of striking nurses at St. Vincent Hospital and
Worcester Medical Center against Tenet Healthcare Corp. was strengthened
mightily this weekend.
Nurses were energized Friday when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy visited. The
same day, an estimated 1,500 members of the Massachusetts Teachers
Association left their annual convention to march in front of the medical
center in support of the nurses.
"We have not wavered," said Sandy A. Ellis, a nurse and member of the
negotiating team. "Being out on strike is certainly not getting any easier,
but we are getting stronger by the day."
And yesterday was Nurse Day on the picket line to celebrate National
Nurses Week. Nurses from across the state and across the country joined in an
afternoon demonstration of solidarity.
"This is overwhelming for all of us. You just don't know what it has
meant for us to have all of you come today," Ms. Ellis said before
introducing their special guest, U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester.
In 90-degree temperatures and under a blistering-hot sun, Mr. McGovern
delivered a very well-received speech shortly after 2 p.m. to the nurses
gathered on the Summer Street side of the new hospital.
"I come from a family of patients," he began. "I am grateful for all of
you and what you have done for us.
"I am here to help you make sure that no hospital, whether Tenet or
anyone else, forces you to work double shifts. I stand behind you, and I'll
tell you why the whole community is standing solidly behind you. They
understand you want the very best patient care," Mr. McGovern said. "I
promise I will stand with you for as long as it takes."
Mr. McGovern promised to bring the issues of the strike to the federal
level.
"I don't know who they thought they were. They have come across the
wrong group. If Tenet thinks they can wait us out, they're clearly wrong.
Tenet thinks people don't care. But they're wrong," Mr. McGovern said.
The last negotiations between Tenet and the nurses, who are represented
by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, were on Thursday. Talks broke down
after nine hours, again over the issue of mandatory overtime. The hospital
wants the right to require up to eight hours of overtime per shift. Nurses
say that endangers patient care.
After Mr. McGovern spoke, "visiting" nurses also spoke. Nurses were
excited to hear from "the man known as the whistle-blower" -- Barry L. Adams,
a nurse and member of MNA. In 1996, Mr. Adams, who was not a union member
then, fought a Cambridge hospital over low staffing levels and won.
"Now, this is blowing the whistle in a major way," Mr. Adams said.
"Every nurse around the country is watching this strike."
Jill C. Furillo, a California nurse and director of government relations
for the California Nurses Association, told the striking nurses they are
standing up for all the nurses across the country.
"I want to tell you: You will win. Your strength and commitment is
powerful. The public is supporting you, and nurses across the country are
behind you," Ms. Furillo said.
"We want to thank you for starting this fight," said Patricia R.
Underwood, who took two days to drive from Michigan to be at the rally. She
is secretary of the American Nurses Association.
Julie B. Pinkham of Quincy, director for labor relations for the MNA,
said that now that the fight has been started in Worcester over mandatory
overtime, nurses across the country are interested in helping.
"We will do whatever it takes. If it means throwing up picket lines at
every Tenet-owned facility in the country, then that's what we'll do," Ms.
Pinkham said.
But the nurses have refused to submit the disagreement to binding
arbitration, a process often used in settling contract negotiations, Paula L.
Green, spokeswoman for Worcester Medical Center, said yesterday. In fact, the
nurses rejected flex time and mandatory overtime without offering any
alternative, she said.
"We are not asking nurses to work 16 hours every day, that's a total
misconception. Mandatory overtime is simply like an insurance policy," Ms.
Green stated.
Ms. Green said the hospital managers don't understand why the nurses
union refuses to consider mandatory overtime, while just last week the union
signed off on a contract at Tenet-owned Metro West Health System's Leonard
Morse Campus in Natick that includes mandatory overtime.
"At this point, we are in a very difficult situation. Mandatory overtime
is not new. It's at other hospitals in Massachusetts. UMass Memorial has it
in their contract. So now, I think we need to just go to binding
arbitration," Ms. Green said.

© 2000 Worcester Telegram & Gazette

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