Vol. 74/No. 15      April 19, 2010

At a March 31 rally organized by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, union members put their hands across their mouths to protest a key issue—the hospital’s proposed “gag clause.” The order says that health-care workers could be disciplined or fined if they publicly “criticize, ridicule, or make any statement which disparages Temple, or any of its affiliates or any of their respective managers or medical staff members.”

“Hey, hey, ho, ho, Temple’s gag clause has got to go!” and “What’s disgusting? Union busting!” were among the chants by striking nurses and health-care workers as they picketed the hospital.

Jackie Yates, a trauma nurse, told the Militant that what drove the nurses to strike “was a lack of respect as signified by the gag clause. And they’re trying to break the union.” Other contract issues include pay, health insurance costs, random drug testing, and tuition reimbursement for families.

On the picket line Jackie Yates and Selena Hodge, vice-president of Temple University Hospital Allied Health Professionals, said that hospital officials had blocked efforts to send a small group of trauma nurses to help with Haiti earthquake relief. And they rejected a proposal by nurses to designate a floor to care for pregnant teens.

Temple University Hospital has hired 850 “replacement” workers through California-based HealthSource Global Staffing, which specializes in strikebreaking. The company Web site includes a U.S. map showing anticipated and current hospital strikes, promising scabs “the highest pay in the industry.” Strikebreakers are offered from $2,862 to $10,388 a week, according to company literature obtained by the nurses’ union.

An April 1 memo from Temple management threatened to fire hospital workers who are not on strike if they talk to strikers or “condone or lend support” to the strike. The prohibition applies 24/7, even when off-duty, the hospital bosses said.

Temple students are circulating a petition in support of the strikers and against the gag-rule clause. The nurses have also received support from American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1723 on the Temple campus and the Temple Association of University Professionals.

Jenny Broz, a student at Temple University, contributed to this article.
 
 
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