FACE MORE THAN 12 YEARS IN
PRISON.
ON THE HEALTH CARE FRONT, NURSES
AT UW HEALTH IN MADISON TODAY
DELIVERED THEIR OFFICIAL TEN-DAY
NOTICE OF INTENT TO STRIKE.
THE NOTICE COMES IN RESPONSE TO
THE HOSPITAL'S REFUSAL TO
RECOGNIZE THE NURSE'S UNION.
HUNDREDS OF NURSES VOLTED IN
FAVOR OF A THREE- VOTED IN FAVOR
OF A THREE-DAY WALK OUT.
UW HEALTH SAID THE DECISION BY
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL
UNION TO CONDUCT A STRIKE IS
DISAPPOINTING.
THEY WILL HARM PATIENTS KNOWING
THAT THEIR ACTIONS WILL NOT GAIN
THEM AN ANSWER TO THESE LEGAL
QUESTIONS.
WE ARE GO NOW TO ONE OF THE
LEADERS IN THE EFFORT TO
UNIONIZE.
COLIN GILLIS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> Colin Gillis: THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME.
>> Frederica Freyberg: THE
STRIKE WOULD BE STAGED TO GET
THE HOSPITAL TO RECOGNIZE THIS
UNION.
WHY DO NURSES WANT THE UNION?
>> Colin Gillis: WE HAVE BEEN
FACING CUTS THAT HAVE REDUCED
OUR ABILITY TO TAKE CARE OF
PATIENTS FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS.
SINCE WE LOST OUR UNION FOUR
YEARS AGO.
SO WE'RE REALLY -- WE'RE
COMMANDING THIS UNION BECAUSE WE
NEED A REAL VOICE AT THE TABLE
WHERE THE DECISION ABOUT POLICY
GETS MADE.
>> Frederica Freyberg: DESCRIBE
YOUR WORKING CONDITIONS THAT LED
TO THIS DECISION FOR NURSES.
>> Colin Gillis: I WORK ON AN
IN-PATIENT UNIT WHERE WE TAKE
CARE OF COVID PATIENTS, AMONG
OTHERS.
AND WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING
SHORT STAFFED.
AND WORKING SHORT STAFFED AS A
NURSE MEANS YOU ARE MAKING AN
ENDLESS SERIES OF IMPOSSIBLE
DECISIONS.
DO I GIVE THIS PATIENT PAIN
MEDICATIONS OR DO I STAY AT THE
BEDSIDE AND MONITOR THIS PATIENT
WHO MAY BE DECOMPENSATING AND IN
DANGER OF GETTING EVEN SICKER
THAN THEY ALREADY ARE?
AND IT'S THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE
THAT CAUSES BURNOUT AND
EXHAUSTION AND MORAL INJURY THAT
IS CAUSING NURSES TO LEAVE NOT
JUST BEDSIDE NURSING, IN-PATIENT
NURSING, BUT TO LEAVE THE
PROFESSION.
>> Frederica Freyberg: SO YOU
DESCRIBED A SERIES OF CUTS OVER
THE YEARS.
ARE THESE, KIND OF, DELIBERATE
CUTS?
OR DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH THE
SHORTAGE OF NURSES OVERALL?
>> Colin Gillis: SO WE'VE BEEN
FACING A CHRONIC STAFFING CRISIS
SINCE THE HOSPITAL IMPLEMENTED
SYSTEM NOTICE MEAN STAFFING BACK
IN 2018.
SO THERE IS A NATIONAL STAFFING
SHORTAGE.
BUT THE STAFFING CRISIS THAT
WE'RE EXPERIENCING AT UW IS, IN
PART, AN OWN GOAL.
IT'S SELF-INFLICTED.
>> Frederica Freyberg: YOUR
FELLOW NURSES SAID HAVING A
UNION WOULD HELP PATIENT CARE.
HOW SPECIFICALLY?
>> Colin Gillis: NURSES ARE ON
THE FRONTLINE.
THE VERY FRONTLINE OF HEALTH
CARE.
SO WE SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO
OUR PATIENTS AS IT'S HAPPENING.
AND WE'RE ALSO, BECAUSE WE'RE AT
THE FRONTLINE AND THE BEDSIDE,
WE'RE THE EXPERTS.
WE REALLY KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON
WHEN WE'RE FACING A PANDEMIC OR
WHEN WE ARE FACING INCREASING
LEVEL OF PATIENTS IN NEED OF
HEALTH CARE IN THE COUNTY.
AND IT'S US WHO ARE MOST
QUALIFIED TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT WHAT POLICIES WILL REALLY
WORK AND PROTECT PATIENTS.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE
OPERATING IN A CRISIS SITUATION
RIGHT NOW.
WHERE WE'RE JUST SO UNDER
STAFFED, WE CAN'T TAKE CARE OF
OUR PATIENTS THE WAY WE NEED TO.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE HOSPITAL
MAY BE ABLE TO HIRE NEW NURSES
ALL THE TIME, BUT WE CAN'T DO
OUR JOBS IF OUR HOSPITALS ARE HL
REVOLVING DOOR WHERE NURSES GET
HIRED AND LEAVE A YEAR LATER.
GO AHEAD.
>> Frederica Freyberg: I'M
WONDERING ON THE FLIP SIDE IF
WALKING OFF THE JOB FOR THREE
DAYS WILL HURT PATIENT CARE.
>> Colin Gillis: WE'RE GOING ON
STRIKE TO PROTECT OUR PATIENTS.
AND WE'RE GIVING OUR -- WE
ALREADY GAY THE HOSPITAL -- WE
ARE GIVING THEM A TEN-DAY NOTICE
SO THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY NEED IN
ORDER TO KEEP PATIENTS SAFE
DURING A WORK STOPPAGE.
BUT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
STRIKE IS ON THE HOSPITAL.
THEY CAN LEGALLY RECOGNIZE OUR
UNION AND THEY REFUSE TO DO SO.
>> Frederica Freyberg: DO YOU
FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE NEW LEVERAGE
NOW WITH THIS NURSE SHORTAGE?
AND HOW ARE YOU PROCLAIMED
HEALTH CARE HEROS THROUGH THE
PANDEMIC?
>> Colin Gillis: NURSES ARE --
WE LIKE TO SAY IN NURSING THAT
WE ARE THE MOST TRUSTED
PROFESSION AND GALLOP HAS BEEN
DOING A POLL THAT SHOWS THAT FOR
A VERY LONG TIME.
I THINK, MAYBE, YES, WE ARE EVEN
MORE TRUSTED AS A RESULT OF THE
PANDEMIC.
BECAUSE WE WERE THERE WHEN OUR
COUNTRY NEEDED US.
AND BY THE WAY, THE PANDEMIC IS
NOT OVER.
WE DO THINK THAT WE ARE AS
POPULAR AS EVER.
AND ALSO, WITH THE NATIONAL
CENSUS, IT DOES MAKE IT -- IT
DOES MEAN THAT IT'S ON THE
HOSPITAL TO PAY EVEN MORE
ATTENTION TO US RIGHT NOW.
>> Frederica Freyberg: COLIN
GILLIS, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
AND THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.