Thread by @RickSmithShow

Michael Elvord: We think of ourselves as essential & important; I take care of C-section rooms before & after procedures. Meriter Hospital's actions did not line up w/ the words they said.
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Michael Elvord: The first day we were in negotiations, we sent 15 proposals & they rejected 13 & said they weren't even willing to discuss them. 8 of those concerned inclusion. That shows how much they disrespect us.
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Michael Elvord: They don't show the proper respect to us as workers, esp. during this pandemic when we literally put our lives, & our families' lives, on the line to keep the hospital open. We just want to be respected & make a living.
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Hanan Jabril: I feel blessed I reap the rewards of being able to take care of new or experienced parents.
Rick: You shouldn't need pay--that should be enough!
Hanan: Staffing ratios, trying to take paid time off--those things aren't reflected in our paychecks.
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Hanan Jabril: CEO Sue Erickson invited the public to write letters to the staff to thank them for all they've done. (con't)
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Hanan Jabril: (con't) When employees voiced their needs & said what they wanted, like paid time off after burning through it waiting for neg. COVID tests or b/c our kids had COVID, mgmt did nothing. (con't)
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Hanan Jabril: (con't) Everyone else in the hosp. got 40-60 hours of paid time off as a bonus, & that incl. people who never worked in the hosp during COVID but we were excluded from that.
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Hanan Jabril: CNAs have been working 16 hr days, without proper protections while in COVID rooms, taking care of patients who are on vents.
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Hanan Jabril: I had a 16-yr old patient give birth while on a vent with COVID. We've had stillbirths & miscarriages at much higher rates than normal. This loss & devastation makes us question so many things.
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Hanan Jabril: The hospital is making millions of dollars off our labor.
Rick: But you have the thank yous!! Isn't that enough?!
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Michael Elvord: I'm sure what we have in common with other hospitals is that we rely on each other for the support we don't get from management. We have a mantra that we treat our job as though the next person coming through the door is our mother, etc.
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Michael Elvord: They told us we couldn't get 40 hrs paid time off b/c we had to wait for bargaining. Now we're in bargaining & they don't want to discuss it.
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Hanan Jabril: We always appreciate the thank yous but what we really need from our community is for people to call our CEO, Sue Erickson, & tell her if she's going to call us heroes, then pay us a living wage.
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Hanan Jabril: Go to bit.ly/BeFairMeriter & write an email, telling CEO Sue Erickson to support the people she's been brushing off for so long. You can also call her at [phone].
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Michael Elvord: I would tell the CEO that dignity & respect are not just words. We show our patients dignity & respect, & that's what we want from management. We don't use these words frivolously--they mean a lot to us. We've earned it & deserve it.
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