Read the transcript of this video: https://therealnews.com/an-oral-history-of-the-10-month-st-vincent-hospital-strike

The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding failure at every level of government to prevent its spread dealt a devastating blow to healthcare workers. Nurses, doctors, and other medical workers faced increasingly dangerous conditions, along with employers more concerned with increasing profits than saving the lives of their patients or employees. At St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, nurses fought back against their corporate employer by organizing a strike of over 700 workers that lasted for 10 months. Filmed by TRNN contributor Gino Canella, these interviews with St. Vincent nurses comprise an oral history of a ferocious labor battle that became the longest nurses’ strike in Massachusetts state history.

Editor’s Note: In the introductory voiceover for this video, reference is made to “high nurse-to-patient ratios,” but what we meant to say was “low nurse-to-patient ratios” (i.e., individual nurses having too many patients to manage on their shifts).

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19 thoughts on “How Massachusetts nurses waged a 10-month strike”
  1. Money is the issue, join the GREEN Party & divest from US military Pentagon that is "losing track" of over 21 Trillion US Dollars.

  2. Thank you for this template for unionizing. In my 50 years of being an RN, unions nursing jobs made all the difference in patient care. Thank you for standing up!

  3. WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT BEING A HINDU?

    By Francois Gautier.

    Diversity in Divinity and Unity in Spirituality.

    1) Believe in God ! – Aastik – Accepted

    2) Don't believe in God ! – You're accepted as Nastik

    3) You want to worship idols – please go ahead. You are a murti pujak.

    4) You dont want to worship idols – no problem. You can focus on Nirguna Brahman.

    5) You want to criticise something in our religion. Come forward. We are logical. Nyaya, Tarka etc. are core Hindu schools.

    6) You want to accept beliefs as it is. Most welcome. Please go ahead with it.

    7) You want to start your journey by reading Bhagvad Gita – Sure !

    8) You want to start your journey by reading Upanishads – Go ahead.

    9) You want to start your journey by reading Purana – Be my guest.

    10) You just don't like reading Puranas or other books. No problem my dear. Go by Bhakti tradition . ( bhakti- devotion)

    11) You don't like idea of Bhakti ! No problem. Do your Karma. Be a karmayogi.

    12) You want to enjoy life. Very good. No problem at all. This is Charvaka Philosophy.

    13) You want to abstain from all the enjoyment of life & find God – jai ho ! Be a Sadhu, an ascetic !

    14) You don't like the concept of God. You believe in Nature only – Welcome. (Trees are our friends and Prakriti or nature is worthy of worship).

    15) You believe in one God or Supreme Energy. Superb! Follow Advaita philosophy

    16) You want a Guru. Go ahead. Receive gyaan.

    17) You don't want a Guru.. Help yourself ! Meditate, Study !

    18) You believe in Female energy ! Shakti is worshipped.

    19) You believe that every human being is equal. Yeah! You're awesome, come on let's celebrate Hinduism!

    "Vasudhaiva kutumbakam" (the world is a family)

    20) You don't have time to celebrate the festival.

    Don't worry. One more festival is coming! There are multiple festivals every single day of the year.

    21) You are a working person. Don't have time for religion. Its okay. You will still be a Hindu.

    22) You like to go to temples. Devotion is loved.

    23) You don't like to go to temples – no problem. You are still a Hindu!

    24) You know that Hinduism is a way of life, with considerable freedom.

    25) You believe that everything has God in it. So you worship your mother, father, guru, tree, River, Prani-matra, Earth, Universe!

    26) And If you don't believe that everything has GOD in it – No problems. Respect your viewpoint.

    27) "Sarve jana sukhino bhavantu " (May you all live happily)

    You represent this! You're free to choose, my dear Hindu!

    This is exactly the essence of Hinduism, all inclusive .. That is why it has withstood the test of time inspite of repeated onslaught both from within and outside, and assimilated every good aspects from everything . That is why it is eternal !!!

    There is a saying in Rigveda , the first book ever known to mankind which depicts the Hinduism philosophy in a Nutshell " Ano bhadrah Krathavo Yanthu Vishwathah" Let the knowledge come to us from every directions

  4. My aunt was a nurse here and joined the strike. Very proud of her. She told me she wasn't fighting for herself because she's ready to retire. They were fighting for all the young nurses who are getting squeezed tighter and tighter for the profits with no concern for patients and nurses.

  5. I stand with ALL workers who are currently striking, all around the world.

    My mild inconvenience is nothing in comparison to what these poor souls endure at the hands of rabid capitalist subhuman scum.

  6. Very important correction is needed, in my opinion.
    At 0:26
    See it as a fraction 1/2 >1/4.
    Basically the employer think its concerning when too high cost$ because of too many nurses per patient.
    Employer : N2P too High
    While nurses are concerned when there are too few nurses per patient, reducing care quality.
    Nurses : N2P too low
    Shouldn't it be written and read as
    more accurately as
    LOW nurse-to-patient ratio NOT HIGH nurse-to-patient ratio
    to lead to a reduction of patient care.
    Note that the employer was indeed concerned by costs because of a HIGH N2P ratio wich lead to a reduction of the N2P ratio.
    Ex : of N2P i.e. nurse-to-patient ratio
    1:2 is a higher ratio of nurse per patient than 1:4. – 1:2 1 nurse taking care of two patient is a higher N2P ratio than 1:4.
    Higher N2P ratio i.e. 1:2 equals more nurse time per patient than in a lower 1:4 ratio scenario
    Critical care a higher N2P ratio of 1:2 than emergency with a N2P of 1:4

  7. Staffing as well as the doctors under medicating for PAIN. My friend who has secondary cancer had to continually call Scripps to get her pain meds filled. She suffered terribly.

  8. This is the problem with our for-profit health "system". They're trying to extract every last dollar that they can out of the "system", and it looks like now they're focusing on seeing how much they can extract out of their own front-line workers so they can boost quarterly profits. We would be much better off operating hospitals and doctor's offices like a public good, like the police force, the fire department, the public library, etc.

  9. Nurses, like Teachers are GROSSLY UNDERPAID and OVERWORKED! For the education REQUIRED to obtain to hold these very important and NEEDED professions, they are mistreated and kicked around like a lost dog!
    Most of those so-called Rep's in Washington, and within our cities and States, don't do 1/10th of what these Professionals do, ALL YEAR ROUND!
    These two professions, definitely deserves the SALARIES of those in Washington DC, hands down, if only for the education requirements, alone, let alone, trying to take care of the children and patient's that these two professions perform on a daily basis!
    STOP THE INEQUALITY and PAY these Professionals what they truly EARN and DESERVE!

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