If you’re a travel nurse that hasn’t worked a strike before, you’ve probably at least heard about strike nursing jobs because they’re typically the highest paying nursing positions in the industry, and rightfully so. While working during a strike requires traveling, it is not a business as usual atmosphere because the regular staff nurses are on the picket line and you would be stepping into their positions temporarily to continue patient care.
What is a labor dispute?
Unionized hospitals must go through the collective bargaining process every few years which means the union and management renegotiate employment terms. When the union contract comes up for renegotiation, the healthcare system must develop strike contingency plans to continue its operations in the event of a work stoppage — which includes hiring temporary replacement workers for a potential labor dispute. If the company and union can’t come to an agreement, then a labor dispute may occur. When it comes to work stoppages, there are two different scenarios:
Strikes — when a group of union employees stop working in protest, and begin picketing
Lockouts — when the company initiates a work stoppage and locks out the union (not allowing them to work) and then the union workers start picketing
Are strike nursing jobs safe?
Yes, but there are additional risks that come with strike jobs given the nature of the work environment. You will likely have to cross the picket line every day to and from work which can be scary at first. Most of the time all you have to worry about is yelling and name-calling. Sometimes people may bang on vehicles while they’re driving through the picket line and throw things at the vehicles. It’s also possible for striking union members to show up at your hotel or approach you off-site.
For added protection, most healthcare systems hire strike security during labor disputes to act as a deterrent, capture evidence on the picket line, and keep their patients, non-union employees and strike replacement workers safe for the duration of the labor dispute. There are many security agencies out there that specialize in strike security such as MADICORP, AFIMAC, and Huffmaster. These agencies work with the healthcare company to ensure everyone on the picket line is on their best behavior and that any illegal acts or violations of the National Labor Relations Act are captured on video and used as evidence to support temporary restraining orders, injunctions, or arrests, if necessary.
Strike Nursing Companies
Health systems have a responsibility to keep their doors open and continue patient care — to do that, they contract with experienced strike staffing agencies to provide them with replacement nurses and allied staff if necessary. These strike nursing agencies are experienced in placing workforces in labor dispute environments, they know what to expect, how to move personnel to the site(s) quickly, and keep their employees safe. Below are some of the top strike nursing companies that healthcare systems hire to help them staff their facilities during labor disputes.
US Nursing Corporation
U. S. Nursing is the premier strike nurse agency provider of job action services within the United States and it has been providing continuous and quality patient care since 1989. To apply, simply provide your email address, fill out a 45-second questionnaire, and then will reach out to you. Signing up will also add you to their list for job action alerts.
Huffmaster Healthcare
Huffmaster is a nationally recognized staffing agency providing single-source strike staffing solutions to hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Huffmaster is always accepting applications for Registered Nurses, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Licensed Practical Nurses, Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Certified Nursing Assistants.
To apply with Huffmaster, you can fill out their online application, and then will notify you when an upcoming job fits your qualifications.
RapidStaff – Strike & Crisis Healthcare Staffing
Rapidstaff is a division of TotalMed Holdings and has over 30 years of experience in crisis healthcare staffing. They staff clinicians of all specialties, allied health, technicians, and non-clinical support staff
Health Source Global – HSG Strike Staffing
HSG Strike Staffing is the largest healthcare strike staffing company in the U.S. They place nurses and allied healthcare professionals in high-demand healthcare strike jobs and provide competitive compensation and little to no cost accommodations.
HSG consistently meets or exceeds the rates paid by other agencies; however, the pay for particular specialties will vary with the hospital and geographical area. While working a strike, HSG will provide per diem for each day worked.
Considering Strike Staffing?
A few things to keep in mind when considering strike healthcare jobs is that these are maybe jobs that are usually for a short duration. They’re also always going to be a maybe job — because you’ll only get deployed if a strike occurs. In other words, these projects are nice to have if you can get them but they’re not reliable and don’t last as long as traditional travel nursing assignments.
How To Get Started
If you’re interested in learning more about strike healthcare jobs, then you should reach out to several companies to start the process and get on their email lists to be notified when potential projects are coming up that you’re qualified for. That way they’ll have your contact information and can reach out to you as they begin preparing for potential strike projects. Once a potential job pops up, you can find out more about the potential project, and decide at that point if you’re interested in the project and starting the onboarding for potential deployment.