Spokane7
49°
August 11, 2010 in City
Hospitals, workers reach tentative agreement
Deal calls off one-day strike
Unionized health care workers at Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital and Medical Center will vote on a new labor contract Thursday and Friday.
Details of the tentative agreement that prevented a one-day strike Wednesday have not been disclosed.
Union members will see the agreement for the first time today and Friday, said officials with Service Employees International Union 1199NW. The bargaining team recommends passage of the deal that was reached at about 5 a.m., two hours before the scheduled strike, said SEIU spokeswoman Linnae Riesen.
Hospital executives said the deal was reached with the help of a federal mediator, who recommended the sides accept the agreement.
The union represents 950 employees of the two hospitals, which are owned by Community Health Systems Inc., a Tennessee corporation recognized as the nation’s largest for-profit hospital operator.
SEIU is among the nation’s largest organized labor groups and its Seattle affiliate representing the hospital workers is among the largest in Washington state.
Details of the agreement could be released this week, including the length of the contract, compensation, benefit changes, and workplace and grievance policies.
“We value all of our employees and are very glad to have reached mutually acceptable agreements for those covered by collective bargaining agreements,” William Gilbert, chief executive officer of Deaconess Medical Center, said in a news released issued Wednesday.
Union members have been working since December 2008 without a contract.
During that time union members have accused hospital management of unfair labor practices, including the changing of benefits without bargaining, union-busting efforts and other issues. The company has denied the accusations.
Relations between the two entities reached a boil this summer as the union charges were taken up by the National Labor Relations Board as part of an administrative trial.
The hospitals and employees sought to assure the public that the disagreement did not pose an immediate threat to patient care.
The union represents technologists – such as respiratory therapists and radiology, ultrasound, medical laboratory and surgical technologists – and service workers such as housekeepers, food service workers, nursing assistants, and health unit coordinators.
Registered nurses at Valley are unionized. Registered nurses at Deaconess voted two years ago to drop their union representation.
Parishes giving $1.5 million toward settling sex cases 
arroyoribera on August 11 at 12:55 a.m.
A community rally in support of striking nurses and healthcare workers of SEIU 1199NW has been called for Wednesday, August 11, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at Deaconess Medical Center 800 West 5th Avenue, Spokane.
This is how a recent communique from the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane (PJALS) characterized the situation leading to the strike:
(quote) Nurses and healthcare workers at Deaconess and Valley hospitals are asking for our support. When Community Health Systems came to Spokane and bought Deaconess and Valley hospitals they were full of promises, including a pledge to protect services and work with nurses and caregivers to settle a fair contract.
Instead, their focus is on excessive profits, giving millions in salaries and bonuses to top executives while cutting local healthcare services like our trauma care and Parkinson’s clinic. And after 20 months, they still haven’t settled a fair contract with workers, who are members of SEIU 1199NW. Healthcare workers are taking a stand with a one-day strike on August 11. Will you join me on the strike line? Let’s tell Community Health Systems that their unfair behavior doesn’t cut it here, and our community deserves better. (end quote)
See you on the picket line. Solidarity forever!
David Brookbank
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 1:40 a.m.
no
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 1:57 a.m.
Letters / Aug. 9, 2010
Salute for leak
The imperialist U.S. military Goliath has just taken a massive shot to the head from the David of Wikileaks.org with the heroic release of 91,000 secret U.S. military documents now available — unvarnished, unfiltered, undoctored and unspun — to every person on earth via the Internet.
The documents disclose multiple gross war crimes by U.S. military forces, CIA and mercenary contractors, as well as severely flawed tactics and strategies which have cost thousands of U.S. and foreign lives.
The documents (www.guardian.co.uk/world/the-war-logs) expose nearly daily civilian deaths, including large numbers of children, the existence of CIA paramilitary death squads, and the human consequences of spending $300 billion in U.S. taxpayer money, even as increasing millions here lose their homes, survive without medical care and apply for food stamps. It’s long been the thought-control agenda of corporate media and the U.S. government to prevent this sort of material — now totally outside their control — from derailing their ruling class wars of aggression. Whoever released the documents is a hero, as are Julian Assange and Wikileaks.org.
Those who stand up, speak up and defy illegal U.S. government wars and other murderous policies are heroes. U.S. out of Afghanistan NOW!
David Brookbank
Spokane
Gee Dave…you’re a real patriot. A real union boy. Nice letter to the editor. Real proud of BOTH of your causes. And this is your idea of balance. Ask help elsehwere….think those people who will get murdered because of your beloved Wikileaks think you’re deserving of support against a local hospital? Gee…you must be concerned about lives lost… hypocrisy incarnate. best wishes to your union friends. No soup for YOU Dave. No support either. Get lost pal.
JBlim on August 11 at 6:49 a.m.
Daisy, what does Wikileaks have to do with the hospital workers story?
JBlim on August 11 at 6:52 a.m.
BTW, congratulations to the health workers.
misjustice on August 11 at 6:56 a.m.
WHAT? DAZE, didn’t you intend to go on your anti Obama rant?
And why is it your business if union members vote to strike? We have the freedom of association, the freedom of speech, and the right to join a union…guess you are anti Constitutional rights; unless the “rights” are for mega corporations that put profits before all else…
arroyoribera on August 11 at 7:46 a.m.
Sorry, Daisy. My name is not Dave. My name is David. Dave was my father, the B-52 pilot who along with other US forces engaged in a genocidal war with napalm, carpet bombing agent Orange defoliant, etc in several South East Asia countries which — under the pretext of the falsified Gulf of Tonkin incident — resulted in the death of 3 million South East Asians and Vietnamese.
And thanks, Daisy, for re-publishing my letter on Wikileaks. The US war in Afghanistan — an illegal war like all US wars in the last 50 — is responsible for the deaths of 1223 US troops in Afghanistan. It has killed an additional 770 “coalition” troops. Wikileaks is doing for the US Afghan atrocity/quagmire what the Pentagon Papers did for the Vietnam atrocity/quagmire.
Ms. Daisy apparently has learned to use Google search and so also knows that I am a socialist and will oppose all US invasions and occupations and genocial wars which are sucking dry our national resources, including the lives of our young soldiers and the willingness of the people and governments of the world to support us.
She also knows I support people — such as unions and other organizations — any time they stand up to the same corporate ruling class which acts in its own interests and against workers, communities, and US values. That is why she writes with the venom she does.
Thanks again, Ms. Daisy, for pointing out my letter and sharing your reactionary views. Please try to keep my identity separate from that of my father. He is a proud, anti-union, anti-immigrant, pro-imperialist, right-winger and has asked me to try to keep my views separate from his. I am exactly the opposite.
David Brookbank
Albert on August 11 at 8:57 a.m.
Mr. Brookbank it well appears that you are also a very angry and embittered person who renders judgment on others. I can assure you that going through life with this root of bitterness will accomplish absolutely nothing. Like your father, I had no choice during “those years”. Our illustrious presidents, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Johnson dictated what we were to do. In lieu of your bitterness and judgment of “others” perhaps you might consider the art of forgiveness and move on with your life? Anger, bitterness, and judgment accomplish absolutely nothing.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 11:20 a.m.
1. Dave: good that your father was a patriot who servered honorably. What happened to YOU? Didn’t seem to rub off.
2. You and your union ( like many unions) have invested nothing and own nothing on the Deaconess campus. You seem to think CHS should give you money/raises because hundereds of executive management at CHS split up millions in profit ( so you say). In your ads you say that patient care suffers now and will suffer more unless CHS gives you raises.
Logic anyone? Typical union garbage. Well, this monring I reviewed mortality and morbidity data from Deaconess and Sacred Heart. There is no difference in any area. So I looked at national averages and again there’s no difference.
SO Dave…this is simply about money. It has no bearing on patient care or outcomes. So no you’re both a liars and traitor.
Nice Dave. Good going!
3. J I don’t have any issue with the unions right of assemblage,
FIne by me if they march their little shoes off. Liars and traitors I take issue with.
4. Wikileaks releases from theft at State will cause deaths, murders and maiming of both Afghans who support the anti-terrorist effort and American troops. Publishing of names and adresses do that.
Dave thinks it’s pretty cool. Most patriots wouldn’t agree. I don’t So now, it’s established Dave and his Self admitted socialism cheer on murder. And now it’s established Dave’s a liar as well. Typical far left union socialism. It’s his right. Just so you readers know what this scum is really about. No offense Dave. Have a good rally.
Diana on August 11 at 12:03 p.m.
Daisy Minken it well appears that you are also a very angry and embittered person who renders judgment on others. I can assure you that going through life with this root of bitterness will accomplish absolutely nothing. Like your father, I had no choice during “those years”. Our illustrious presidents, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Johnson dictated what we were to do. In lieu of your bitterness and judgment of “others” perhaps you might consider the art of forgiveness and move on with your life? Anger, bitterness, and judgment accomplish absolutely nothing.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 12:34 p.m.
Nope Diana….I know a liar when I see one. Not bitter…not angry. I also know that people will die because of Wikileaks . Accordingly, I have trouble with someone who is a cheerleader for terrorism. Assange is indeed a terrorist… who is very culpable. Dave cheers for him. I don’t.
Look at the facts….I’m not angry or resentful. Dave cheers for the guy who arranges the death of inoocent people. You should have trouble with that too.
As far as this Dave goes, his union has been refused multiple times at Deaconess and with CHS. The nurses fired the union because of their uselessness and their tactics. And yet, the union continues to harass workers in the CHS system….and they say patient care is jeoparidized if Dave’s brand of unionism isn’t supported. Well, lies abound. Mortality and morbidity figures never have nor will they ever budge because of union activity. Unions would like you to believe that but there is contrary data to defeat the argument. Dave and the unions know that but they continue to lie.
Liars and traitors…hmmm…what to do? How about call a spade and “spade”. not pretty language to be sure….but it is what it is.
Diana on August 11 at 12:38 p.m.
ROFL, Daisy!
gotcha on August 11 at 1:09 p.m.
SEIU is going to end up being a thorn in Americas side if Obama Care holds up….This is one Union that must be eliminated…
Between SEIU, teachers union, and the rest of these greed infested labor groups our state will be broke in just a few short years.
If your a voter in this state start by getting rid of some of these career politicans that the Unions keep throwing money at on every election..Those politicans serve the causes of the Unions and nothing else while the tax payers go broke.
Obama and Patty Murray have thrown Billions of your money to these Unions and it is now time to stop the coruption.
west on August 11 at 1:40 p.m.
Poor health workers, $50,000 to $70,000 is not enough (nurses) more, more more. While rest of Spokane is making minumum or $10 an hr..these self serving, arrogant,”what about me in my world” people are really suffering..no heat, bills, no food…..unions suck…
Justin_Galloway on August 11 at 2:29 p.m.
Gotcha, what do you mean “eliminated”? Do you suggest hiring a bunch of Pinkerton thugs to bring peace to our economy?
Justin_Galloway on August 11 at 2:36 p.m.
And West, why is the solution always to drag union employee’s down to the (barely) subsistence wage levels experienced by many in our community. Why is the solution never to lift living standards for ALL of our workers? I’ll give you a hint about what might do that and it might even involve unions.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 3:57 p.m.
Hey Justin….ever hear this–>”A rising tide floats all boats”? Well the tide isn’t exactly rising in the inland NW. How dare those unions think they can rig things up at someone else’s expense.!! And then hide under “we’re only doing this for the patients” crap?
Nurses do make the money noted aboveafter two years or when they’re sufficiently trained.Overtime is even more. Seems like the left is trying to convince the public that Owner/operators will somehow pnish their workers. Guess what? Owners know they need workers and pay them well. Owners like happy productive workers. What owners DON”T like is paying more for less. …and having a third party in the way.
Unions are being given billions whether it’s the AFL, Autoworkers, Teachers, etc. Obama’s done jst that. Verner has too.
SEIU is a bunch of unwanted thugs. They fight..not for the workers..but for control and money.
In Dave’s case, he’s not in it for better patient care…nope…he just wants more money. Base as he is…..he won’t get it but he’ll pretend the poor workers are put upon or forced into labor. GARBAGE!
November!
arroyoribera on August 11 at 5:16 p.m.
Thanks, Daisy. It is clear that there is no stopping you but then its a free country, right? Not only is my name not Dave, I do not belong to SEIU and I am not a health care worker. Those may not be lies on your part, because it is clear that being well informed is not a requirement of your tirades. However, they are verifiable errors.
What’s your next attempt at factual misrepresentation?
While Daisy focuses on the wages of nurse and other health care workers, she fails to mention either the incomes of health care industry leaders, the profits of their companies, their thousands of lobbyists, or the money they spend on elections. Let’s start with their incomes:
Ron Williams - Aetna
Total Compensation: $24,300,112
(This is nearly 500 times the salary of a $50,000/yr nurse)
H. Edward Hanway - CIGNA
Total Compensation: $12,236,740
Angela Braly - WellPoint
Total Compensation: $9,844,212
Dale Wolf - Coventry Health Care
Total Compensation: $9,047,469
Michael Neidorff - Centene
Total Compensation: $8,774,483
James Carlson - AMERIGROUP
Total Compensation: $5,292,546
Stephen Hemsley - UnitedHealth Group
Total Compensation: $3,241,042
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/5/26/735411/-Health-insurance-industry-CEO-salary-survey,-stay-calm-for-this
arroyoribera on August 11 at 5:28 p.m.
Just by the way, if the numbers from health insurance CEO pay and compensation are not dumbfounding enough, the numbers are similar on hospital industry executives with highest coming in at $17 million in 2010, some 300 times that of a $50k/yr nurse. The complaint from the health care CEOs was that ONLY 22% of them received an increase in salary and compensation of 6% or more. Poor babies. And they are complaining? You bet they are. They are capitalists. The only thing that matters is money by the nature of the game and the definition of the system.
http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/hospital-ceo-base-salary-growth-stumbles/2010-07-14
http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/special-reports/ceo-payouts-top-healthcare-facilities
Daisy, why is it that as the system is clearly collapsing around us, you have appointed yourself as the attack dog for the system? Are you a Christian ideologue? A fanatic rightwinger? A corporate-paid shill?
Let’s mix it up some here, hey? Let’s here some facts from you, Daisy…
misjustice on August 11 at 5:41 p.m.
DAZE thinks that all CEOs DESERVE their pay, and that the SMALL PEOPLE DON’T! It’s really that simple!
Maybe the next time she’s in the hospital she can request that a CEO, and not a union belonging thug nurse, tend to her!
arroyoribera on August 11 at 5:57 p.m.
That request of Daisy was supposed to read: “..Let’s hear some facts from you”.
Since we have covered the multimillion dollar salaries of health care insurance CEOs and hospital CEOs, maybe we could move on to the millions spent on health care industry lobbying for influence in the halls of Congress where the most influential citizens are those with the most cash to throw around. These lobbyists essentially and often literally write legislation that negatively impacts the quality and cost of our health care and inflates corporate profits.
(quote) Many health companies and associations increased their first-quarter lobbying expenditures, sometimes dramatically. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association upped its lobbying expenditures by a full million, to 2.8 million dollars in the second quarter; GlaxoSmithKline’s spending jumped from $1.8 million to $2.3 million; Novartis grew from $1.4 million to $1.8 million; and Metlife Group reported $1.7 million, up nearly 50 percent. Allstate, which spent less than $900,000 on lobbying through March, boosted its spending to more than $1.5 million from April to June. Others simply kept up the pace, including Johnson & Johnson at $1.6 million and America’s Health Insurance Plans and Bayer Corp. both approaching $2 million in spending from April to June. (end quote)
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/health-care-reform/2009/07/health_care_continues_its_inte.html
Orange on August 11 at 6:17 p.m.
Good job RN’s! Unions these days suck the financial health of it’s members these days. And company’s no doubt.
They were essential back in the day, but not now. If a company wants to truly succeed, they’ll treat their employees fair and within the limits of employment law.
Unions break up the comradery amongst it’s ranks of members, causing undue hardships in the workplace. Especially when operating without a current contract. Or, during contract talks.
Ask the RN’s. They’re glad they decided to go without a contract.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 11 at 6:57 p.m.
NO not CEO’s. As usual Dave tries to go outside of his CHS claim…which is just false.
J…I don’t think those CEOs deserve millions…..don’t speak for me. I do think those companies jack up rates in preparation of 2011 Obama’s taxfest. He makes a move and they make a move to protect themselves. …who wouldn’t?
RN’s are essential as are many of the workers. CHS won’t be held captive to a union. Just can’t do that. Already both hospitals will find nurses, techs , etc outside of strikers. It’s the way of the world.
Obama opened a terrible box of crap with his Obamacare. He’ll be thinking the unions ( nurses, techs , etc) will enforce his will in one way or another. IRS audits figure in too. There are many waysto box in a society. He’ll try most before he’s gone.
As I said earlier, many would like to hide behind poor or lessening pt care if the unions don’t FORCE owners of medical facilites to spend more on their (workers) salaries. Just plain garbage but it’s what one would expect from the unions.
Still Dave thinks Wikileaks is pretty cool. I think Assange is a terrosist who will cause death and destruction….and why? Nobody knows. Dave like it. I think it’s absolutely subhuman to do this. My opinion. Dave’s also a union man who supports the unions….no matter what he spouts…remember is was HIS post that began this. Cowardly to try to say he’s not a union person or a worker. SO what was the point then Dave? Why the post Dave? Any logical person….knows the answer.
flutieflakes on August 11 at 7:06 p.m.
This is getting ridiculous. These aren’t public workers unions- Community Health Systems isn’t required to give into the demands of the union. The union is simply acting in it’s own self-interest (as all business entities should do) and exercising it’s bargaining leverage to negotiate a more favorable contract. CHS has apparently decided that agreeing to this contract is preferable to experiencing a worker strike. I have to agree with them on this point- Medical facilities are strong in this region, and retaining your employees is critical.
Unless you are an employee of CHS, a manager, or a shareholder, you have no right to determine what their employees are worth to them. The money was there, and they (rationally) took it.
soccermomsusie on August 11 at 8:24 p.m.
Dave, I am with you about unions. Back in the 60s, when unionization was rampant, American workers made a decent living. The flip side to that was that CEOs (God’s chosen ones) did not make enough. Unionization is an affront to God.
Think about it. Sure, everyone in the United States could follow the unions’ lead and demand more money for the jobs that they do. But that is so confrontational. Better to be like many of the commentators on this link and tear down the unions in an effort to bring them down to our level - down to their knees. Less money for workers mean more money for CEOs. This is the will of God - that corporations have dominion over us. They are nice people - watch the commercials for crying out loud!
Some would call these people who tear down unions cowards, I say that they know what is right and are simply humble before the Lord (and their betters)!
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
P.S. Don’t forget to vote for John Ahern. He is Mr. Potter to Commie George Bailey (AKA John Driscoll). Have you ever noticed that the socialist movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” makes no mention of Jesus?!!?
Diana on August 11 at 8:48 p.m.
Daisy, you insist on calling David “Dave”.
That little extra disrespect of calling someone by a name that’s not his name - my kids did that in the seventh grade.
If it weren’t so juvenile, we might call you Doozy or Dizzy.
arroyoribera on August 11 at 8:58 p.m.
I do think that the thread has probably run its course as suggested by flutieflakes in regard to this specific issue. And it is pretty clear that Daisy Minken has run into the limits of her understanding of grammar and the English language.
No one said I was not supportive of unions in general, just that I am not a member of SEIU and I am not a health care worker. I support solidarity among humans where ever and whenever it is directed at the common good vs. the privileges of a few. The point is that there is such as thing as a class struggle, which is being waged in this country and around the world as we speak and as the country falls further apart. Generally in this country we are not supposed to name it or discuss it explicitly but as the letter Daisy was so kind as to post shows, I am not really too interested in the rules of socially sanctioned “democratic debate” in our so-called free society. I know where I stand on class struggle, imperialism, mainstream propaganda (the so-called “news” produced by the corporate owned media), ruling class crony capitalism and the like. As my letter to the editor (1/11/10) prior to the one Daisy printed above states explicitly, “I am a socialist, Obama is not”. Daisy also appears to know where she stands, for reasons she has not yet disclosed. I think the tone of her posts — Obama-care, etc — makes clear that she is a knee-jerk tea-party extremist with pretty predictable positions on a range of issues but that is for later discussion.
All these issues related to health care are ripe topics for uncovering the logic of a system controlled and run by very powerful interests, largely corporate who, by the way, massively financed the campaigns of Bush, Reagan, and the other Bush, as well as the campaigns of Carter, Clinton and Obama.
The fact of the matter is their massive investment in Obama shows that the ruling class and the corporate powers that be in this country know full well that they have nothing to fear from Obama, the tea-party paranoia and inflammatory rhetoric aside.
David Brookbank
JBlim on August 11 at 9:07 p.m.
someone whined:
“Poor health workers, $50,000 to $70,000 is not enough (nurses) more, more more. While rest of Spokane is making minumum or $10 an hr..these self serving, arrogant,”what about me in my world” people are really suffering..no heat, bills, no food…..unions suck…”
Some people went to college, got training, and made intelligent choices while you spent your time goofing off. Now, somehow, you think it’s not fair. Poor baby.
arroyoribera on August 11 at 9:30 p.m.
Here in the article below is another view of unions. It gets at the heart of why unions exist in the first place. The same corporate forces which would eliminate unions here, are the ones (like Coca-Cola in Colombia) working to assassinate union leader and prevent workers from unionizing in many parts of the planet. The article and that history point to factors that Daisy and several others here apparently never understood or can’t fathom about unions. Solidarity for ever (and Long live Utah Phillips!)
Article — “And Now for Some Good News: We’ll never know the names of all the people who paid with their limbs, their lungs or their lives for the goodies in my home and yours” by Johan Hari
http://www.tlaxcala-int.org/article.asp?reference=909
(By the way, I would encourage folks to explore the articles posted in English at both Tlaxcala’s old site and the new site where we are gradually uploading articles from the old site. I translate from Spanish to English for Tlaxcala).
(Old site — http://www.tlaxcala.es/pp.asp?reference=9639&lg=en)
Thayne on August 11 at 10:28 p.m.
It would be great if all of you union haters would get a clue. Before the unions, you worked 6 and 7 days a week, 10+ hours a day. Conditions were unsafe. No vacations, sick time etc. Kids as young as 10 worked in horrible and unsafe conditions for pennies a day. Almost all of the “perks” we enjoy today are because of unions being formed. I’m not sure I would have had the courage some of the early workers had when attacked by union busting thugs who wielded batons viciously. FDR sent the army to protect car workers, who were trying to form a union, from thugs hired by the auto maker owners. People lost their lives standing up for their convictions of earning a living wage in safe conditions, so they could take care of their families. Why should all workers be treated like those at Walmart? I keep hoping the employees at all of the walley worlds don’t show up for work for one day. Maybe Sam Walton’s heirs would be happy with 8 billion a year instead of 10 billion and give their workers a decent living wage and health benefits.
misjustice on August 11 at 11:19 p.m.
Thayne makes some very good points. We ALL have the unions and organizers to thank for our two fifteen minute breaks, a lunch break, the 40 hour work week, health care benefits (when offered by benevolent companies), rules for safety in the work place, and so many other work conditions that we take for granted. These “perks” were fought for by brave American men and women, not handed over to workers due to the generosity of corporations.
My father belonged to a union when I was growing up. I can still remember him walking the picket line, the tense moments prior to member votes on contracts (or the decision to strike), and the welcomed strike pay that our family received when the shop went out on strike. Union jobs made a difference in my family’s lives; a GOOD difference.
Why should unionized workers be pulled into the pit of the global jobs auction with the rest of American labor? Bidding against third world workers for lower, and lower, and lower wages. Instead of kvetching about how much union workers make, and how cushy “they” have it, we should all be asking ourselves why we don’t have it better. (Not me in particular, because I am self-employed…a petty bourgeoisie )
If workers choose to unionize then I support their decision. Hell, I wish that MORE workers had the ability to organize and bargain a contract.
Many would rather that we return to 1911 and the “good old days”, the days when workers dieing on the job was common place and no big deal. The days when America thrived on child labor, the days when workers had no recourse, the days when company towns were nothing more than labor camps…yeah, the days of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire…or the days of the Pinkerton punks, or ironically, for far too many Americans, like days of f’in TODAY!!!!
arroyoribera on August 12 at 8:27 p.m.
May it be noted that Daisy’s posts ended when she was challenged to provide some factual backing for her claims.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 13 at 1:30 a.m.
Not true Dave. I didn’t know there was a challenge. Your facts aren’t facts. Scum….loves Wikileaks. Beneath contempt Dave. Sorry…
But I do hope each and every Deaconess employee who loves SEIU gets replaced. Nurses fired the union years ago for untoward, unethical behavior.
Note that !
JBlim on August 13 at 5:51 a.m.
Was it done fairly? We know that:
” … The NLRB proposed to both sides a way to settle the charges, but CHS has refused the settlement, leading the NLRB to issue its complaint and move to federal court to assess penalties.
The charges against CHS include:
1. Failure to bargain in good faith
a) not responding to union proposals
b) delay in submitting proposals
c) putting forth proposals for excessively short contract duration
d) putting forth proposals with the only intent of withdrawing them
2. Unilateral elimination of health and dental insurance plans and replacement with new plans
3. Layoff of employees without bargaining
4. Failure to provide information necessary to bargain over the medical/dental and 401(k) plans
5. Illegal support for employees to resign membership, revoke dues authorization and decertify the union
6. Illegal solicitation of employees’ union sympathies
7. Promising employees wage increases or better benefits if they are non-union
8. Illegally telling employees that they may not engage in informational activity on their paid break times … ”
http://business.nashvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2009-09-seiu-nlrb-cyh-spokane.pdf
Dazzeetrader11 on August 13 at 11:43 a.m.
Doesn’t matter Blim…these are unsubstantiated union charges. Unions stand to gain most. Of course they have a vested interest in making charges….then they can make CHS look bad by saying “CHS is charged with…etc ect” It’s a just an old union tactic. Funny because it’s the same union that charged them!!
CHS isn’t bound by anything the union wants. They own the basketball ocurt …thus they can chose the players. Unions may not like it but the unions drive cost up.
It’s quite obvious the whole game has changed in some respects…but the unions haven’t figured it out….they just want guaranteed increases in wages and benefits. CHS is thinking about giving some thngs that don’t cost much. CHS, if it’s a for profit…will be elemination union contracts since CHS cannot pay for the union demands.
As long as patient care doesn’t suffer CHS will likely be (they already are) finding replacements….and believe me…there are tons of replacements available…..and they won’t be union types. Obama won’t save anyone. He doesn’t care. Unions are holding out false hope….and they know that.
A few months back when I was in town, I accidently ran into the radiology/ultrasound program heads. They have scads of unemployed techs fresh from training. I do know they’ll work for a lot less than the ones potentially on the picket lines. WHen there are families to feed and car payments to make, their last thought will be unions. Hospitals can hire direct and still offer benefits as can most Corps….and they don’t need union bosses to ratify anything…ie take out the middle men and rid themselves of a thorn in their side.
My Dad was the president of his union. He was always concerned that they would price themselves out of the market. Looks like his concerns were real.
misjustice on August 13 at 4:37 p.m.
Only in this case, DAZE, my radical friend, the Union and Management reached a contract…the Union was NOT taken out of the equation, per your prediction. And, providing that members vote to ratify, the contract will benefit not only Union members but all employees employed by the for profit CHS.
misjustice on August 13 at 7:32 p.m.
I’d like to add that this proposed contract, should it pass, helps other health care workers not merely those employed by CHS.
As our good friend, DAZE, so often states, “a rising tide lifts all boats”, and while she in not referring to Union workers when she uses that saying, I’d argue that the quip is applicable. When unionized work places offer a living wage, desirable benefits, and other perks it helps to improve the working conditions for all other people in the same line of work.
Union working conditions are the yardstick against which all other places of employment are measured; and if other employers want to recruit quality workers they will match (or nearly match) union working conditions/contracts in order to recruit top notch candidates.
So yes, a unionized rising tide lifts all workers!
Dazzeetrader11 on August 14 at 12:01 a.m.
It was just about money J. NOT patient care…that was just a smokescreen. Next time, CHS won’t be so acutely needy. Union wages are not sustainable as they have no ceiling.
Next time there will be lots of dismissals. Then the union can whine again. Won’t work…wait till you see what’s written in Obamacare.
Neither the SEIU health workers nor the hospitals will be supported. MD’s will run…nurses with half assed privleges will be brought forth…not because they have in depth training…nope…it’s because they’ll work cheap. It’s about money…golden age of healthcare is pretty much gone without reversals.
I don’t think most people know how much charity or goodwill care is present in the system.
misjustice on August 14 at 1:03 a.m.
CEO wages are not sustainable as they have no ceiling.
eagleproducer on August 14 at 10:10 a.m.
So nice to see Dazee’s predictable lambasting of organized labor wherein gains for the working class can only be viewed through the lens of decreased profits. A rising tide does lift all boats but when most people don’t have a boat it’s the sink or swim world of capitalistic avarice!
Hopefully SEIU won’t bargain away their worker’s right to strike like they have in sooooooooo many other instances. There is a nationwide shortage of health care professionals currently that is only expected to grow larger. That pretty much renders Lazy Dazee’s claim that CHS will replace union members into the realm of idiocy where most of her posts correctly rest.
Calling Assange a terrorist is ludicrous. You’d be much closer to the truth if you called out Dick Cheney or Boy George for such acclaim.
Dazzeetrader11 on August 14 at 12:36 p.m.
Usually Spotuks…usually….if you read Obama, there is a rising tide…but the boats are sinking…and fast. It’s the deception he practices. Why isn’t Assange a terroist? He releases classified information concerning the effort in the middle east. I hope they hunt him down and lock him away. I don’t care if Afghanistan is Obama’s war….I’m more concerned with deaths cause by release of the information. Cannot be justified. Doesn’t matter who is the president…it’s the deed ( stealing secrets in order to promulgate) and a deed that’s aimed at damaging patriots who will die because of Assange. Clear enough now?
CEO’s wages are sustainable J…as long as people buy their products. Don’t get me wrong….I think it’s outrageous! And as long as Obama supports their companies without tax dollars, nothing will change.
This is the crime. He speaks out of both sides. Cost cutting? nah… that’s for everyone else…the serfs….how about a nice visit to Spain while Rome burns!
He’s a one termer…and he should be.
arroyoribera on August 15 at 1:02 a.m.
We really haven’t gotten past Daisy’s whining though we now know her father was a disgruntled former union president, a fact providing insight into her factless carping & irrationality on the matter of unions. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but without facts they get old really fast in a world of concrete realities & quick Google access.
The fact is we can all engage in a race to the bottom in terms of wages or we can figure out how to have a functioning society with livable wages for all. Otherwise, yes, Daisy is right, we can import Filipina nurses & Latin American nurses aides, drive wages into the dirt, have large numbers of formerly employed nurses. In fact, as long as it provides increased profits for health care corporations, you can be sure that these corporations are already trying to figure out how to make something similarly profit producing happen. We will better understand Daisy’s irrational views on all things labor if she’ll share the rest of the story on papa union boss.
As to Wikileaks, I’ll ask Daisy to comment on this video ( better the long version but the short will do) http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/index.html which came to light thanks to Wikileaks & revealed US war crimes to the world. Specifically, please comment Daisy on the 2 children which these fine American flyboys knew were present & whom they tried to kill while killing several civilians & journalists.
The question is very specific, Daisy: What do you think about these pilots openly joking about & then proceeding to ruthlessly kill these civilians?
By the way, the US soldier who rescued the children has also gone public about the crime, apologized for it, & has been severally attacked by the US military as a result. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20605
http://atlanticfreepress.com/news/1/13674-us-policy-in-iraq-urged-indiscriminate-shooting-of-civilians-3-ex-army-soldiers-tell-magazine.html
Daisy can complain until international justice finally figures out how to deal with US lawlessness and war crimes. Her blindness to routine US war crimes over decades across the globe fits with a certain profile she presents in her comments.
As for me, I will continue to fight for an end to US military interventions whenever & where ever.
As for Wikileaks, Daisy, they are big boys & can take care of themselves. After all, they have known for a long time that the US government & CIA have intended to destroy them. http://wikileaks.org/wiki/U.S._Intelligence_planned_to_destroy_WikiLeaks,_18_Mar_2008
As to the consequences of documents’ release, time will tell. Thousands upon thousands of Afghanis & US troops were killed before Wikileaks released their document & thousands were destined to die even if it hadn’t. he documents reveal the extent of US war crimes, use of banned weapons, disregard for international laws of war, etc.
War’s ugly business. This one’s just another lost US war. It’s time to bring the troops home. That’ll happen one way or another, Daisy, I, & Wikileaks be damned. In fact, it’ll happen, the US Marines be damned. Once again US hubris is being successfully defeated by people fighting to defend their countries, regardless of sanctimonious US citizens in the comfort of their air conditioned homes, watching their corporate propaganda news, & rooting for the home team. If it bleeds it leads unless it happens to be a dirty secret like that revealed when US Marine General Smedley Butler called it like he saw it (applies equally today) & confessed that he served an entire carreer as (quote) a high class thug for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. (end quote) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3_EXqJ8f-0
I challenge Daisy to move from mere opinion to providing more facts in support of her positions.
misjustice on August 15 at 7:53 a.m.
Ah, yes, General Butler’s “War is a Racket”; I remember it well and still have a copy tucked away for reference.
@ arro; enjoyed your posts and the cogent arguments that you have provided, including evidence. Many of us regular bloggers have repeatedly asked Daisy Minken for evidence to support her arguments, and she NEVER delivers. I’m not sure if she is unable to find evidence, if none exists, or if she is merely incapable of taking her argument to the next level. At any rate, she won’t respond to your inquiry, at least with anything more than ad hominem attacks and partisan rhetoric.
eagleproducer on August 15 at 9:48 a.m.
arroyoribera: Dazee’s father wasn’t a former union president. The person who writes under that screen name invents relatives when they are needed to bolster the nonsense they typically post on these boards. Last week it was three children of various ethnicities, in the past it was a grandmother confronted with a death panel.
arroyoribera on August 15 at 12:00 p.m.
Thanks. It was fairly evident that Daisy is indeed a wildflower blowing in the wind of a distant field. It would be nice to sit down over a cup of Chai with her and understand who she really is. I have been in a sort of self-exile from the S-R blogs and much else in Spokane for a few years and am re-emerging to engage again. Perhaps she is coming out of the first time into this brave new world of electronic communication (truly revolutionary in many ways) or is re-emerging after a time. I would just like her to be more real, more indepth, more disclosing in an honest sense. It is the real “we” who will change this world. Clearly we all want that change because we are headed over a collective cliff. It would be nice to think that if we do in fact go over, Daisy could reach out an grab onto someone she disagrees with for a little comfort, if not salvation.
bszottlinger on August 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Daisy Minken:
I would not let this bother you. Just let it go “In one eye and out the other” and consider it another one of his productions.
“arroyoribera: Dazee’s father wasn’t a former union president. The person who writes under that screen name invents relatives when they are needed to bolster the nonsense they typically post on these boards. Last week it was three children of various ethnicities, in the past it was a grandmother confronted with a death panel.”
Mr. Spoketucky gets to be anything he wants to be here, for the time being, he is a teacher.
Brad
eagleproducer on August 16 at 10:28 a.m.
That’s nice, Brad. You obviously have a lot of time on your hands lately. You must have twisted an ankle and can’t chase as many ambulances?
Thanks for promoting my business! I posted that information months ago requesting Daizy do the same so people could make a choice whether to be a customer of hers or not. It must have taken you hours to wade through my previous posts to find that nugget. Yet after all that “research” all you can summon is the weakest of smack weaving in the name of my business. I do hope people know who you are and will consider your support of a racist, homophobic, hysterically incoherent ideologue like Daizy Minken should they need an attorney or the services of a firm who would hire you.
It’s nice to have another troll obsessed with me! I just can’t believe you aren’t tired of being owned yet.
bszottlinger on August 16 at 10:54 a.m.
Wow, I wonder what Shakespeare would have thought of that little diatribe.
At least I can rest easy knowing you are not a teacher.
Bradford