Thousands of nurses to strike at Kaiser, Sutter hospitals Thursday

Thousands of nurses at more than 30 Sutter Health and Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Northern California will walk off the job Thursday in what union officials say will be the nation's largest-ever nurses' strike.

More than 23,000 nurses represented by the powerful California Nurses Association – including 17,000 from Kaiser hospitals – are expected to honor the walkout, primarily in the Bay Area but also at Kaiser's Sacramento-area hospitals.

Kaiser officials said they are prepared "to provide high-quality health care and service" during the strike.

I’m puzzled why FReepers automatically assume that the freaks “occupying” Wall Street aren’t acting to some extent in our interests as well; some have rational points on their placards which shouldn’t be ignored.

Very good point. This big divide between the so called “far right” and “far left” is continually reinforced by the Establishment since they do not want to experience the synergy that would come from a united people, rather than a divided people. Of course there are insane haters from all sides, including the middle, but the real divide at issue there is between the Corporatist banks (crony capitalists working hand in glove with the gubmint) and We The People.

While I can't say that I find agreement with all of the memes being expressed by the Wall St Occupiers, nor with some of the organizations behind it, their basic point is that the Corporatist banks are destroying our economy (and many fundamental liberties) while being abetted by the federal gubmint. If anyone on the “far right” thinks that Government Sachs, et al have the best interests of America and its people at heart, they are sadly mistaken. Corporatism (Crony Capitalism) is NOT Free Market Capitalism, and sadly we have been drifting away from true Free Market Capitalism for decades.

But of course the establishment wants all of the people at Zuccotti Park to keep believing that all those “Tea Partiers are fascists” and all the folks at your local Tea Party meeting to believe that all those “Wall St. Occupiers are commie hippies.” That is the message that will keep We The People divided and fighting amongst ourselves, rather than against the real enemies.

I am in NJ, which is very different from flyover country in a few regards: Most companies/stores don’t want American workers; they hire the desperate from the 3rd world who would gladly work 7 days a week. Many Americans that won’t work Sundays aren’t working Monday to Friday either; the influx of immigrants (legal and otherwise) to replace them hasn’t slowed at all.

There is little “Christianity” left in NJ.

I understand the complications; I can’t believe that anyone posting on a site called “Free Republic” would disagree with their right to organize.

I’m an outright enemy of public employee unions, as I have to involuntarily contribute to them. As far as other workers go, who am I to oppose them? By what right?

Collective bargaining against taxpayer funded operations should be outlawed. It’s extortion.

I’m indifferent to collectivism in the private sector providing the collective doesn’t intimidate, harass, or otherwise interfere with the free market.

Unfortunately, the intersection of Liberty and Collectivism is practically non-existent.

My state is a right to work state.

I don't have to pay extorted “protection money” to a third party entity in order to do, or keep my job.

Business is down. I didn't get a raise per se, but my employer absorbed my portion of increased health insurance rates, along with their own...so my pay wasn't cut.
Because I am a valuable employee, and care almost as much about the company I work for as the owners do.
We will sink or swim together, by our combined efforts.
It is not an adversarial relationship. We truly wish each other well, but they really don't want my LOTTO winnings to reach retirement level.
At one point in USA history, labor unions were absolutely essential in forcing comprehensive labor laws to be written regarding fair employee protections against unscrupulous employers.
Most American workers and employers decided a long time ago that fairness is a two way deal.
Hense the decline of Union extortion rackets.
Now if my employer and I work hard enough together to get a bloated and corrupt government out of our way....next year I might have more money in my paycheck, instead of merely treading water, and those deepening worry lines my employers have sprouted might ease a little. Labor Unions only have power when Union membership is mandatory in order for any potential worker to be employed. No thanks! I would much rather earn an honest wage while doing an honest job.

I sincerely hope things improve for you & the company, as there is a relationship that is often lacking between employers & employees. I wish every state was a right-to-work state; the mandatory membership thing is as much a violation of a worker’s rights as banning unions.

I have never been a union member (though it was offered when I worked in maintenance for years in my younger days); I think they’ve done a lot of damage here in the recent past, but remember what they achieved in an even more distant past.

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