Temple

WE, the Temple workers are standing strong in our efforts to show temple that we are to be respected and valued for what we do everyday. It is a tough battle but still one definately worth fighting.

Editors Note: Carolyn is a GI technician at Temple Hospital. She participated in a media training class MMP put on with the United Way last fall. She is a member and leader of the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP) currently on the picket line.

With less than a week before the March 31st strike deadline, nurses and healthcare professionals held a rally outside of Temple University Hospital to demand a contract that will not strip away their human rights or diminish their ability to provide quality care to patients.  

For background about the nurses union, visit:  www.pasnap.org

On Wednesday, 1,500 nurses and staff in Temple University Health System (TUHS) will go on strike demanding higher quality patient care, the right to free speech, reasonable health care costs, cost of living raises and tuition remission for family members attending Temple University. The gap between the nurses and TUHS is wide and a strike, potentially a prolonged strike, seems certain. While there are many issues that could be discussed regarding this strike, the most appalling is the money issue.

Video by: Carolyn Humphries 

Temple University Hospital's 1,500 nurses and professional and technical employees will hold a final rally before going on strike to demand a fair and just contract that will uphold their rights to advocate for patients.  

Date: Friday March, 26th 2010 

Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm

Location: Temple University Hospital Main Entrance at Broad & Ontario Sts.

The Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) is winning an ongoing battle against Temple University Hospital. PASNAP wants reimbursement for tuition benefits that Temple abruptly stopped providing last March despite the fact that the benefits are part of their current contract. Jerry Silberman, staff representative, spoke with me about this legal fight and also discussed PASNAP's negotiations for a new contract.

The full Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) has affirmed a previous decision that finds Temple University guilty of engaging in bad faith bargaining by illegally discontinuing a long standing tuition benefit for the children of Temple University Hospital nurses and other professional staff.  The 1,500 Registered Nurses and professional staff are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP).

In the midst of a national health care reform battle, a small drama unfolds in northeast Philadelphia. Last week, the Pennsylvania House held up $175 million in additional funding to Temple University. Representative John Taylor described the move as a “wake up call for Temple University” to live up to their responsibility to the public.

Last week, the Temple University Administration, without advanced warning and for no direct cause, fired several union secretaries (members ofAFSCME 1741have been without a contract for nearly two years)in the College of Liberal Arts as part of what they called "restructuring." This "restructuring" mostly involves hiring a number of the secretaries back in non-union jobs, but very similar capacities, at reduced pay and benefits.

People across the country are in the midst of a debate about the best path to fixing our broken health care system and getting quality healthcare to the un/underinsured. While attention is focused at the state and federal levels, the city of Philadelphia is about to lose another vital institution that serves the healthcare needs of poor and working class Philadelphians--Northeastern Hospital. This city-wide struggle to save Northeasterngoes hand-in-hand with the national fight. Keeping Northeastern Hospital open and fixing our country' healthcare system are two sides of the same coin. Listen to a report from Labor Justice Radio.