Replacing striking nurses proves costly

Bad news for hospitals and unions is good news for nurse staffing agencies: Hospitals pay replacement nurses anywhere from $50 to $90 an hour when regular staff goes on strike, and they're willing to do so because it often costs less in the long run to pay replacement nurses during a strike than it does to negotiate a long-term, costly contract with regular employees. But a nationwide nurse shortage means that hospitals and staffing agencies are competing for the same nurses. Staffing agencies attract nurses with the higher-than-average wages and other bonuses. Not surprisingly, unions aren't a big fan of the staffing agencies because they undercut the union's bargaining power.

To learn more:
- check out this Wall Street Journal article (sub. req.)

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PLUS: In Providence, RI, mandatory overtime for nurses is causing major conflicts between the nurses' union and Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Report