The recent strike involving over 30,000 nurses, which concluded on February 26th, serves as a pivotal example of the power of collective action in the healthcare sector. Liz Marlow, a seasoned registered nurse and union member, elucidates the critical role of strong strike action in compelling management to return to negotiations, particularly in the face of regressive bargaining tactics that violate labor law. The outcomes of this strike were not solely financial, with a notable 21% increase in pay achieved, but also instrumental in rejuvenating the spirit of activism among nurses and reinforcing the essence of union solidarity. This conversation encapsulates valuable insights into the necessity of educating union members to empower them as advocates and leaders, ensuring a steadfast commitment to patient care. As we delve into this discourse, we underscore the importance of unifying efforts across various organizations to advance both patient and worker advocacy in the evolving landscape of healthcare.

Key Takeaways:

• The nurses' strike ended on February 26th due to regressive bargaining tactics by Kaiser, underscoring the importance of strong strike action to bring management back to negotiations.
• Regressive bargaining involves management proposing worse terms than the previous offer, which is a violation of labor law and demonstrates bad faith negotiation.
• The strike not only achieved financial gains—like a 21% pay increase—but also reignited activist energy among nurses and highlighted the necessity of union solidarity.
• Union stewards and boots-on-the-ground advocates are crucial for enforcing contract terms and maintaining ongoing support for patient care beyond contract negotiations.
• The strike fostered stronger relationships among unions like NISNA and other collective organizations, creating a unified front for patient and worker advocacy.
• Nurses emphasize that patient care is the core reason they entered the profession, and maintaining this focus guides their activism and bargaining efforts.
• The experience highlighted the importance of educating union members to empower them to be effective advocates and future leaders.
• Building a strong union, exemplified by UNAC's growth from less than 200 nurses to over 30,000, amplifies the voice of nurses nationally and enhances their capacity to influence policy and workplace conditions.

Resources & Links:

• United Nurses Associations of California (UNEC/UNAC)
• NISNA (New York State Nurses Association)
• Amazon - Book: "The Fight for Healthcare" by Nora McKee (sample resource to deepen understanding of healthcare activism)

Connect with Liz Marlow:

• UNAC on Facebook
• UNAC Twitter

Welcome to Riverside Rank and file.

I'm Steve Matthews.

Let's dive in.

Today we welcome back Liz Marlowe, who is a registered nurse, member of unac, United Nurses Associations of California.

Wonderful union.

Liz spoke with us before while they were in the middle of a historic strike with over 30,000 registered nurses.

Liz, welcome back.

Hi.

Thank you for having me.

Steve, we had an amazing interview with you before where you talked about the motivation for registered nurses going on strike at Kaiser and the nurses decided to end the strike.

You talked to us a little bit about what was accomplished by striking.

And the dedication, of course, was about patient care and about improving wait times for patients and other things that anyone that may end up as a patient in Kaiser should be concerned about.

So, Liz, what can you tell us?

So our strike ended on, I believe, February 26th.

And it ended due to a couple of factors.

At that time, Kaiser was showing signs of regressive bargaining.

So that along with waiting us out, they wanted to wait us out and they have the money to do it, you know, unfortunately.

So we ended on a strong note.

We ended while our strike lines were still strong and we went back to the negotiating table.

If we didn't strike in the first place to begin with, they wouldn't have come to the table.

And that was a huge determining factor as to why we went on strike in the first place.

That's an accomplishment that you got them back to the table.

Where you refer to regressive bargaining, people may not understand that's actually illegal for when management puts a proposal on the table, if they put less on afterwards, it's an unfair labor practice with actually breaking the law if they do regression.

So that shows bad faith on their part, which doesn't surprise me because you went in with good faith, trying to advocate for patients, and they were looking at the bottom line, money wise, without looking at the patient care questions from all indication.

Right?

Correct.

And it taught us some great lessons during this bargaining and striking season.

It did bring out a lot of strong advocates, a lot of nurses that have political backgrounds that are now fired up and ready to go.

It's brought about quite a few changes that need to take place, this contractual agreement during these next four years.

So, reflectively, we are looking at ourselves and seeing where we can bring greater education because knowledge is power and empowering our members that are boots on the ground, educating them, inspiring them, giving them the knowledge to move forward.

I think that's key.

Yeah, I think when you mentioned that there's more active people and people that have some political Experience among your nurses, developing that base of support and those abilities that certainly will bear fruit over time.

Yes, definitely.

That's one thing that we learned during this or after winning this contract.

The contractual language will need to be enforced.

And our union stewards are the front line.

So they're the boots on the ground, the eyes and ears.

I am a union steward for unac, proud to be one.

And I have realized that I want to take all the efforts that I put in towards UBT and all of that.

I want to take all of that effort into the actual labor movement.

So it's ignited my personal fire within.

So I'm really dedicated into making changes.

And it's good that you had such great support on the picket lines.

You did.

You had quite a few nurses out on the picket lines.

It's good to have the other unions come and support you as well.

Yes.

And that's one thing that we did experience during the strike.

Nysna, they were very supportive of us, and we were very supportive of them, and we were communicating with them and just other unions also showing their support.

And, you know, that's what it comes down to at the end of the day.

We're all on the same mission to protect our patients first and foremost and put them first.

You know, this was setting the precedent for the future that, you know, with large corporations, we have to draw the line in the sand firmly with these corporations and let them know, you know, you may be using your business model, but these are human beings and there's a fine line and you're not going to cross it.

You mentioned nysa, which, for those who don't know, is New York State Nurses Association.

So this was really a nationwide strike that your UNAC nurses were a very key part of.

So that's a powerful thing when we understand that nurses are the most respected classification of workers in our country.

To have a nationwide strike where nurses are standing up for patients, that only enhances the respect that the population has for registered nurses.

That you've been there for us and you've been willing to sacrifice.

It was certainly not easy to go out on strike and not have your paycheck during that period of time.

And the fact that you're willing to make that sacrifice for patients, we all should recognize.

Yeah.

Thank you so much.

Thank you very much.

And we do it with, you know, humility and respect for our patients.

It wasn't about the money.

21.5%, You know, that's great.

Thank you, Kaiser, for giving that to us and for our union.

Fighting for that and the alliance fighting for that as well.

We are grateful for that.

When it comes to patient care, there's a line, and we will not let corporations cross that line into taking advantage not only of our patients, but of nursing as well.

We have to set that precedent that we will do whatever it takes to protect our patients, even if it means shutting the place down.

Well, that 21% increase in pay is certainly nice and difficult times, but you always very clear that the number one thing was the patient care we talked about in your first interview with us, why you became a nurse, and it was that commitment to patients.

You could have gone into any other type of employment with your skills and your professionalism.

You decided to be a registered nurse.

And that nursing skills is something that.

It's very clear that you've kept your promise to why you became a nurse, and you're still that person.

Yes.

And thank you.

Thank you, Steve.

And there's also a lot of other nurses I'm sure that you know, and you're privileged to work alongside of that, have that commitment.

Right.

For if you go into the hospital, it's not the doctor that brings you back to health.

They may give you good advice, they may give you a prescription, they may tell you what's wrong, but who does that care of you?

Bringing you back to health is that registered nurse at your bedside.

And I think that whether you're a bedside nurse or you're a specialist, a nurse, whatever that is, is very key component of our healthcare system that you continue to make sure is there.

Absolutely.

You're right, Steve.

We are the watchdogs at the bedside, and we take great pride in that.

So we know the necessary changes that need to happen.

And that's the thing.

Looking at metrics and looking at models, they're just looking at numbers.

But there's so many variables that come into play in real life scenarios, and those are the things that we're fighting for, because we're the boots on the ground, we're the eyes and ears.

And it's very important that, you know, we are taken into consideration because that's what rank and file and unions is all about, is protecting those patients right there at the bedside.

So.

Exactly.

If you were to have someone that's considering getting into nursing and they're watching this podcast or they're listening to you in some other venue, what would you tell them as a reason that they should get into nursing?

The reason that they should get into nursing, One, don't get into it for the money, because when you have a calling for nursing, it should be about putting patients first, putting people first.

You have to like people.

You have to love them, actually.

It has to be your passion.

Because if you go into your.

Yeah, if you go into your job every day and you don't like people, then that's not the place for you to be.

But if you do love people and you love serving, then definitely go into nursing.

It is so rewarding.

It is gratifying in so many ways.

You know, it is a thankless job.

But, you know, you have many things that you can rely on.

You have God to rely on.

You have, you know, your community to rely on to fill your cup, you know, and an important thing is, is to always take care of yourself first, of course, take care of your mental health, you know, and you will have those tough days, you know, but your resiliency, keeping your genuine authenticity preserved and speaking your truth moving forward in nursing and in the medical profession, you'll go for.

So that's what I tell our future nurses.

Well, I'm sure your union, unac, should be very proud to have a member like you.

And as you mentioned, there's quite a few people that learn through the experience of the strike.

A strike is a very big teaching opportunity to train people to be able to reach out to their coworkers, to be able to reach out to the public, which those are things you did.

You got the public support.

And going forward, that needs to be deepened, obviously, that all of us that are there for you for the next round when you continue to fight for patient care.

Yes, absolutely.

And that's one thing that we have to remember as union members, not just getting together during the periods of contract negotiations.

The union has to be strong for the entirety of the contract and beyond because of the fact that there are many changes, there are dynamic changes with Kaiser that came that we need to be ready for in time.

And those boots on the ground, those union stewards, the local officers and the executive council all need to work together and move forward as one and steer the ship in the right direction.

And that's what we need to do.

It sounds like your union and you as an active member are in that process of continuing to build the strength, continuing to advocate.

And so with going through this period of the strike and some of the economic issues being addressed, the patient care issues are addressed with your dedication.

And I think obviously Kaiser would be nice if Kaiser would recognize that and making some additional changes, but that's going to be all of us being standing behind you because we get there to where we need to be by having the professional nurses that we're blessed in having, doing the work that you do.

Thank you, Steve, so much.

Is there anything else you'd like to let our listeners know about this experience and going forward?

Anything you'd like them to hear?

Just that we love our patients.

We are so dedicated to our medical profession and craft in collaboration with physicians.

Building that.

Building and establishing medical care and treatment is so important and moving with the times and the dynamic changes, but also protecting our patients, that's first and foremost.

And having a union is so beneficial compared to a non union shop.

And I want to remind people that UNAC, it was established 50 years ago with less than 200 nurses and less than $300 in their pocket.

And now over 30.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's amazing.

Yeah, we're over 30,000.

Yeah, we're over 30 thousand strong.

It shows the need to have the voices of nurses recognized by people at large in the country, but also by nurses themselves.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

We need to set the precedent from here on out.

Yeah.

Well, you've done a solid job.

And again, I appreciate you coming on Riverside rank and file.

And we'd like all of our listeners, all the people that watch this podcast, understand the true treasure we have by having nurses like you.

And please thank you, nac, for allowing you to come on this podcast.

We look for continued work with your wonderful union.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Going forward, it only happens that all of us stand together with dedicated workers, with dedicated nurses, like the UNAC nurses that we're privileged to have.

And I thank you again for coming on.

Thank you, Steve, so much.

Thank you for having me.

Hopefully I'll talk to you in the future.

Absolutely.

Look forward to that.

Thank you.

You.