News Briefs
Nurses battle union busting in Appalachia
Dec 6, 2007 5:08 PM
Nurses fighting for a fair contract at Appalachian Regional Healthcare face more than lost pay or a lost job. They’re facing violence, too.
Some 700 nurses, who are members of the United American Nurses, have been striking nine ARH facilities in Eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia since Oct. 1. Management not only hired and housed replacement nurses, but also hired security guards to harass and spy on strikers. In one instance, a union representative’s car was torched. Strikers say police were unresponsive.
Citing large staff ratios, the striking nurses say the main issue is poor patient care, but ARH officials, whose company is the largest provider of care and the single-largest employer in southeastern Kentucky, contend the strike is over money and not patient care issues.
Meanwhile, caravans of nurses from out of state, including AFT members, have been motoring down to the area to show support and raise money. You can help the strikers out by going to https://secure.ga6.org/08/arhstrikefund and make a donation to support the nurses.
AFL-CIO Now, Nov. 13
