HPAE Strike FAQ and PowerPoint Presentation for local 5091
Strike FAQ
Management wants us to be scared. We need to let them know that we are prepared to do what it takes to get a fair a contract!
1. Why are we taking a strike authorization vote?
We believe that to be successful in getting a good contract, we must be prepared to threaten and use our strongest weapon — a strike. By law, we have to send a notice to the hospital 10 days before we participate in a strike or picket. These have been very tough negotiations so far. We are committed to signing a contract with patient staffing ratios, and movement on other demands!
2. If we vote for a strike, does that mean that we will go on strike?
No. By voting YES, you are giving the bargaining committee authority to decide if we need to engage in concerted activity, up to and including a strike. Voting yes will send a strong message to the hospital that we are serious about raising standards!
3. I can’t afford to go on strike, can I work elsewhere during a strike?
Yes. No one wants a strike; we want a contract that respects us as professionals and allows us to give the quality of care that our professional standards require. You can work elsewhere during the strike. You will be expected to take shifts on the picket line as well.
4. Can I collect unemployment insurance (UI) while on strike?
Yes. Under New Jersey’s unemployment law, unemployment insurance benefits are paid either after a 14-day waiting period (if no replacement workers are hired/reassigned from existing staff to cover our work) or immediately – if replacement workers are used. There is also no waiting period if an issue in the strike is the employer’s failure to comply with an agreement, contract, or law pertaining to hours, wages, or working conditions.
5. If we go on strike, won’t they just replace us?
If we go on strike, management can hire replacement workers or “scabs.” They will likely use an agency that specializes in supplying those strike-breaker nurses from out-of-state. They are very expensive and will cost management a lot of money to use.
6. If we go on strike, won’t they just fire us?
No, that would be illegal. We cannot be fired for exercising our legal right to strike. Technically, we can be “permanently” replaced — but they must hire us back as soon as positions become available. Permanent replacement is not likely to be a viable option — by law, they cannot offer the scabs anything more than what they are offering us at the time. They can’t fill the vacancies that they have now. Permanent replacement is a very unlikely possibility.
7. My manager says that if we go on strike, I will lose my health insurance.
This is just one of the threats that we can expect management to use to try to intimidate and discourage us using our legal right to strike to make positive changes. If we do go on strike, we have a right to continue benefits under the federal COBRA law. In the event the employer stops paying health insurance premiums at the end of the month, you can continue coverage. Under the COBRA law as long as you pay the full monthly premium of your current coverage, benefits can continue uninterrupted for up to eighteen (18) months. As long as your address is current with the plan administrator you will receive notification of COBRA benefits by mail.
HPAE Strike FAQ for BNB Local 5091
Strike Ready Training ppt 2025
