Hospitals in Rhode Island brace for surge as nurses begin strike
The Department of Health has expedited licenses to more than 1,000 replacement healthcare workers as nurses protest raises, wages.
Rhode Island nurses, like these California nurses in 2014, went on strike Monday.. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The Rhode Island Department of Health has been preparing for weeks: a strike among union nurses at Rhode Island Hospital, beginning Monday, is expected to result in a flood of patients pursuing care at other area hospitals.
While such strikes are relatively rare, they've been known to happen -- notably in Minnesota late last year, when union employees staged a one-day strike and then were locked out when they returned to work.
Rhode Island's Department of Health has expedited licenses to more than 1,000 replacement healthcare workers, as the conflict between the union nurses and their parent company, Lifespan, is locked in a stalemate, according to local news station WPRI,
The United Nurses and Allied Professional Local 5098 union also represents nurses and other healthcare professionals at Rhode Island and Hasbro Children's Hospitals. This is the first time its members have gone on strike, said WPRI.
Some 2.400 workers in total are going on strike, and the number of replacement workers falls short of that amount, local station Turn to 10 reported. Some union members are part time, and others work a combination of 8- and 12-hour shifts, while the replacements will work 12-hour shifts for the duration of the four-day work stoppage.
It's unclear what will happen when the union nurses return to work. The crux of the dispute is that Lifespan paid $10 million to a contract agency and then reduced its offer to the union. The offer included a range of 6 percent to 19.75 percent raises over a three-year contract, but the union called for more equitable raises and competitive salaries to combat turnover. There are no negotiations currently planned between the two parties.
Replacement workers are being provided by Michigan-based Huffmaster, a company that provides staffing relief in hospital strike situations. In a statement earlier this month, Lifespan said that in the event of a strike, "the hospital is fully prepared to deliver the care our patients need at optimal staffing levels."
Regardless, providers such as Kent Hospital in Warwick and Women and Infants Hospital in Providence have enacted measures to prepare for a likely surge in patient volume.
