Lockout Aftermath Solidarity Forever/Facebook Entry Redux

Sunday, June 14, 2009


Lockout Aftermath Solidarity Forever

Current mood: thoughtful

Category: Jobs, Work, Careers

The Bayonne Medical Center Lockout ended on Friday morning, June 12 at 7 am due to political pressure and the fact that the administration couldn't run the hospital without us. And the fact that the patients complained about the crappy service. And possible impending lawsuits. Among a bunch of other things I can't remember right now. I returned to work that same morning. The job is a different place when you have to work with or dine amongst the scabs that crossed the picket line to do your job. Badly, I might add.

Even though we're all back, the job isn't the same. It even feels different. Some of the people treat you differently since you're one of the few people who spent a few days on the picket line, yelling for the people to honk their horns in support, walking with people you haven't spoken much to on the job all of a sudden know who you are, where you work in the hospital, and they now stop at the office to speak to you in which this time last year, you were a blip on the radar because once upon a time, you were (and still are) friends with people in management (past, not present). No one knew what to think of you. Today, you are someone because you stay true to yourself as hard as that can be sometimes.

Tomorrow is Day 2 back on the job. I feel very different than I did 5 days ago, before this lockout took place. I look at my coworkers differently, some for the better. Others, not so much. In other cases, even worse. I am angry at some for not picketing with us, instead staying away like management advised them to do. In other cases, I understand why they didn't. Me, I choose to walk the picket line again if I have to. I wrote this on a friend's Facebook page in response to a comment she wrote. This details why I walked, why I would do it again, and why I wouldn't change a thing: (I edited names for privacy purposes.)



-----Original Message-----

From: Susan Reo ..

To: susiecute34@tmail.com

Subject: Facebook Entry Redux



I am proud of her too as well as myself for spending our days on that picket line. I told her last night that I wouldn't change a thing. I'd do it again. For the residents of Bayonne and our families and friends. I am proud of be a Bayonne Medical Center employee and no one, no matter how hard they try (management, etc. They know who they are..) will take that away from me. I've given 11.5 years to the hospital and I would do anything to protect anyone I care about from being hurt. I watched someone almost three years ago lose their job due to the carelessness of the former management in a layoff.. That same person gave his/her life to BMC and when I think back to that day in July 2006, it gets me mad and it keeps me fighting. That person made the difference in my job at BMC and the job has never the same since.



This sums up my feelings on the week's events and how I know I will not feel the same about my job again after this.

Sue :-)