Standing in Solidarity with the Nurses at Temple University Hospital

Temple may have to pay pickets unemployment benefits
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Jane M. Von Bergen
April 29, 2010
In a strange twist, Temple University Hospital may wind up paying its striking nurses and allied health professionals for their time on the picket line.

Tentative Deal Reached to End Temple Hospital Strike
KYW Newsradio
Hadas Kuznits and Ian Bush
April 27, 2010
The nearly month-long strike by nurses at Temple University Hospital could soon be over. The union and hospital administration reached a tentative contract agreement on Tuesday evening.

Nurses strike has Temple training 850 new hires
The Philadelphia Inquirer
By Stacey Burling
April 1, 2010

Temple University Hospital lost 1,500 skilled employees Wednesday when registered nurses and allied health professionals went on strike.

Temple Nurses Strike
KYW Newsradio
March 31, 2010

The strike for nurses and staff at Temple hospital began at 7 on Wednesday morning. About 1,500 employees walked off the job in hopes of obtaining better pay and benefits.

Support From HPAE

"Congratulations to the nurses, techs and professionals on their success in negotiating a new contract. They have sent Mr. Notebart a message that he will not silence them nor break their union. It is unfortuanate that it took a month long strike for him to realize that."

Betsy Nulty,
President
HPAE, Local 5106

"Congratulations to the members of TUHNA and TAP for their strength and solidarity in achieving a contract. You are an inspiration to all union members in the Temple system and throughout the city of Philadelphia. Your struggle brought back a dependent tuition for all and we thank you on behalf of all of our members."

Sue Clements
VicePresident
HPAE, Local 5106

"Standing in Solidarity with the PASNAP Members at Temple University Hospital is "doing the right thing" for all.

As we support PASNAP Members including Temple Nurses, we are supporting all health care employees in our area. In order to recruit and maintain the best nurses and support staff, an employer must not only provide good economical benefits but also demonstrate respect for all health care employees. Temple's reputation as a "Preferred Employer" is well known in the community. Temple Nurses have always been a powerhouse for setting a high standard of patient care and preferred employee benefits.

Do we still need Unions even during a bad economy? Absolutely. Unions provide a bargaining leverage needed to set a high standard despite the current trends in our unpredictable economy. Wage agreements, gag orders, safe staffing, educational benefits, and health benefits are some of the many issues on the table during this strike. The final result of the strike will spill over to all non-unionized hospital employees. In the past, other hospitals in Philadelphia area knew they had to match Temple Hospital's Union wages/benefits in order to recruit and retain outstanding nursing staff.

Stand in Solidarity with Temple nurses, professional and technical staff, and, you are standing for all healthcare workers in the Philadelphia Area."

A member of HPAE Local 5106

"As a present Temple-Episcopal employee and a past employee at Temple main, I support the nurses and techs in their strike. Remain strong and united."

Gary Peoples,
VP of Tech unit

"The machinations behind Sandy Gomberg's rhectoric is really an attempt to break the union. It is clear that Mr. Notebart was brought to Temple to deprive union members of their voice."

Elizabeth Nulty
President
Local 5106

"As a union member and A Temple University Hospital employee, I strongly support the nurses and techs on the main campus in their struggle for a fair contract. Many of the issues still on the table are benefits the PASNAP members have had for many years. Temple says that the hospital can no longer afford those benefits, but if Temple is in such bad financial shape how can they afford to hire scab nurses, pay them exorbitant salaries and house them in downtown hotels? It is an enormous waste of money. Temple administration may say otherwise, but every healthcare worker knows that an entire staff of agency personnel can never provide the excellent care that dedicated Temple nurses and techs provide every day.

Temple should do the right thing. Settle the contract and bring the nurses and techs back to work."

Sue Clements
Local 5106 Vice President