Comments on: Nurses say Temple’s offer includes a "gag clause"

By: rossana

rossana — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 01:22:52 +0000

GO TEMPLE NURSES!!!!

By: ruth noesner

ruth noesner — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:30:28 +0000

I am one of a few nurses working at Temple who has negotiated with MS Gomberg before at another institution. Intimidation and threats to job security is her way of negotiating. I have thought long and hard about responding to their gag order issues,fearing that my job security would be in jeodardy. I worked at Temple Children's, was forced to loose my 3 12hour shifts and now have to work 2 12's and 2 8's lost personal time as well, as well as my shift when they closed. I have been holding on hating the 40 hour week, not able to work at my homecare parttime job because of scheduling conflicts. My unit obsorbed many of Northeastern's nurses when Temple closed, we are now loosing some very good nurses because they can't stand to work the 40 hour week. It really hurts the night shift especially hard and those who need child care. We have major gaps in our scheduling because of the 8 hour shifts. To be told that we can't schedule three 12 hour shifts and a 4 hour one by management and then later tobe asked to come in and do 12 on a scheduled 8 does't make one bit of economic sense. It doesn't make sense to not have linen on the weekends, no baby hats, and broken pumps, monitors and no functioning portable pulse ox's. Patient safety and well being should be job one, Not whether or not the union publishes it's views. We have the constitutional right to free speech and press. Ms Gomberg only sees it as free on her side not the opposition. Not much has changed in her technique in the last 20 years except she probabley makes a whole lot more now than she did then.

By: Shelly Lynn

Shelly Lynn — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:20:21 +0000

In a nutshell, Temple wants to give us no raise this year, increase our contributions to our health plans and increase our workdays from three 12 hour shifts to two 12's two 8's. This equates to more gas mileage, more mass transit fees, extra day of child care, extra money out of our paychecks etc. This takes more money out of our pockets and after receiving a less than a dollar raise in the second and third year, which is what Temple proposed, will only cover the increase in health plan contributions, so in essence our raises will be absorbed and equate to no raise at all. If Temple is so worried about defamation, then they need to stop using the airwaves like WDAS FM to "bad mouth" the 1500 nurses that are opposed to the lame contract they proposed.

By: mary trzeciak

mary trzeciak — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:09:57 +0000

The attempt to silence the collective voice of union nurses by Temples administration is immoral. To silence the voice of any nurse anywhere in Pennsylvania is immoral. Nurses advocate for the safety of our patients and our community.

By: mary trzeciak

mary trzeciak — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:55:28 +0000

The attempt to silence the collective voice of union nurses by the Temple admistration is just plain immoral. To silence the voice of any nurse across the state of Pennsylvania is immoral. We are advocates for the safety of our patients and our community.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:18:47 +0000

Ms. Gomberg has painted Temple nurses as greedy people who are never satisfied. She does not address Administration compensation. But salary is far from our major sticking point.

Temple University Hospital's nurses and allied professionals ARE the union. We will not be silenced by the gag order that Ann Hart, Ed Notebaert, Ms. Gomberg, and Temple administration have purposefully inserted into negotiations, and where it remains in their "last, best, and final" offer to their employees.

My manager, in a meeting with our department, stated that the "negativity" in our department "had to go." I applaud this initiative. But shortly after, when an additional procedure room was opened without having additional staff, staff was reassigned from another room. This lowered the Standard of Care for our patients in both rooms. I informed my manager about my concern for patient safety with decreased staff in these rooms, yet that is what Temple wants us to do. This, while an open RN position in our department remained frozen, not to be filled.

Temple Administration knows that this goes on throughout the hospital daily. This is what creates negativity, a perceived disregard for patient safety. These are not just my patients. These are the patients that Temple Administration is here to serve. We have always been willing and eager to work with management to improve patient care. But when issues arise that compromise my responsibility to my patients, I will not be silenced. Temple Nurses and Allied Professionals will not be silenced. We, the Union, will not be silenced. We will raise our voices for our patients!

By: Debbie

Debbie — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:10:15 +0000

In response to Sandy Gomberg's statements: I am employed as a RN at Temple. Ms. Gomberg, under the direction of Temple's administration, repeatedly separates union officials from its members. So to clarify, the allied professionals, and registered nurses of Temple ARE the union, and we stand in solidarity with our leaders. We are not separate entities!!!
That being said, the inclusion of the gag clause in Temple's "last, best, and final offer", clearly indicates Temple administration has total disregard for our professional duties as health care professionals to stand in the gap, and advocate for our patients. In addition, the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics, clearly states that as a RN, it is my DUTY to advocate for the rights, health, and safety of my patients. I have accepted this charge, and will not allow Temple to disuade me from my responsibility to this community. Temple nurses will continue to speak out both individually, and collectively! Finally, Temple's attempt to stifle the voices of its professionals shold give all potential patients, and employees pause.

By: Tash

Tash — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:52:49 +0000

We the employees are the union. I have a right and an obligation to take a stand for my patients when you and your administrative staff won't. Why do we continue to staff the ICU's with (beds for heads) there should be a 2:1 ratio in the ICU'S and sometimes a 1:1ratio. There should NEVER be a 3:1 ratio. Where are you when the patients need you, or when your employees need you? Who can we come to when we have NO bear huggers to warm up our hypothermic patients, NO thermometers in the rooms, broken EKG machines, NO Doppler’s for our code carts, a utility room with inadequate supplies, and having to walk out of the patients room and into the hall behind the nurse’s station to dump urine, feces and other infectious waste. We scramble everyday to make it work to benefit our patients. I can at least say that I am my patients advocate and I work hard for what you’re trying to take away from us. Once again, we the employees are the union.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:34:01 +0000

I am a nurse at Temple. I am a proud member of Temple University Hospital Nurses Association. Temple's union IS it's employees. Unions give employees a voice in their employment. It was because of unions that child labor laws were inacted, overtime was defined, and numerous other employee benefits and rights were derived. My union is my voice and I am my union. We are not seperate we are one, and we are many. Temple University Hospital Nurses Association stands against many of the messages in Temple's last, best, and final offer. We will not be silenced.

By: Jill

Jill — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:07:38 +0000

Temple's gag statement is to shut us up. They don't want to hear from any of us. All too often they have penalized the NURSE when concerns have been expressed even when safety is the concern. If they were still the #1 employer in Philadelphia, there would be no negative statments because as #1, one would think that Temple was playing fair.
"Gomberg: It is not a gag order on our employees in any way, shape or form. It is our position that any of our employees should have the freedom to speak on any topic they like, in whatever forum they like to whomever they like." This has to be kept for records because it is exactly the opposite of the wording in the "last and final offer".
Unfortunately, we the employees, who are the union, find Temple administration changing their words and trying to manipulate the system to their advantage.
Once again, these words are my opinion,written thru my freedom of speech