Well, this time around in sleepy Philadelphia town, after a not too long ago, impotent public transportation strike supposedly about pension funds, we now have more local labor news and excitement, a NURSING strike at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.
Oh, whoopee!! Jump for joy!
Now, IF you do not live in this arcane part of the world, it is truly difficult to explain the Byzantine maze of our splendiferous Health care/medical delivery FUNDING system/s.
That most decidedly is a PLURAL.
Many, many, multiple of plurals.
One of the world's 7 wonders.
Oh, whoopee!! Jump for joy!
Now, IF you do not live in this arcane part of the world, it is truly difficult to explain the Byzantine maze of our splendiferous Health care/medical delivery FUNDING system/s.
That most decidedly is a PLURAL.
Many, many, multiple of plurals.
One of the world's 7 wonders.
The Taj Mahal pales in comparison.
For simplicity purposes, Philadelphia's Temple University and its affiliated Medical/Hospital system primarily receives public, STATE, taxpayer funds. In addition, the Hospital is or is not paid, accordingly, as the case may be, from our complex, arcane, labyrinth and maze, our Byzantine medical insurance system.
These taxpayer state funds do NOT cover all Temple University expenses, so, in addition, a hefty student tuition exists AND there have been growing "public-(for profit)private" institutional, corporate partnerships as well.
Two other MAJOR, large medical teaching institutions and complex facilities exist in the city in addition to Temple University and Hospital in North Philadelphia, Jefferson Hospital AND the greater Hospital, Medical system of the University of Pennsylvania, HUP, Hospital of the Univ of Penna.
BOTH above are COMPLETELY PRIVATE, although, the Univ of Penna receives GOBS of federal taxpayer RESEARCH monies AND the Univ of Penna pays NO local real estate taxes, despite the fact they are a sprawling, major, for-profit land owner and developer in the City and so on.
But, never mind.
These GLARING economic contradictions are NEVER contested.
Nobody above or below seems to care much about such discrepancies.
Anyway, back to the strike.
So, various issues involved, from benefits and pay to patient ratios and a controversial gag order not to discuss, disclose, criticize Hospital Administrative policies and/or patient care.
Both sides reached an impasse in the above after many months of negotiations and a strike was called.
So, Temple University Hospital nurses and support staff, approximately 1,500 give or take, are picketing and walking the streets now protesting against Temple's President and her/their policies.
A sane person MIGHT ask, where are the other health care workers throughout the City in this battle??
Don't they JOIN in support??
Nowhere to be seen.
After all, it is NOT THEIR problem! Not THEIR contract. Not THEIR battle.
BESIDES, MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE of the city or nation's medical/health care workers, labor unions came out on the streets protesting AGAINST Obooma's HEALTH CARE INSURANCE GIVEAWAY and boondoggle.
NOR Obooma's trillion dollar taxpayer bogus "stimulus monies," gift, bank bailouts and debt.
Instead, before, the UNIONS and their allies CAME OUT ACTIVELY, LOBBYING AND ORGANIZING IN SUPPORT OF THE ABOVE!!
So, MY GUESS is that the REAL reason, motive behind a forced Temple Hospital/Medical labor stalemate, confrontation, POSSIBLY, ultimately, is to eliminate our quasi-State funded Temple Hospital system completely and PRIVATIZE it.
Or, perhaps, maybe, shut it down entirely.
Where will the patients and staff go?
Well, elsewhere, nowhere or on the street.
Too bad!!
Like everyone and everything else here.
They are expendable, redundant.
So, I respond to appeals for "solidarity, support," above by posing the following question, statement, admonition, go out in front of "Progressive" Democratic offices such as State Representative Pinocchio, about whom I have written much in the past who advocates a STATE Single Payer medical insurance System and/or THEIR national and local AFL-CIO offices and/or other local, NATIONAL AND STATE, GOVERNOR Rendell's office, for example, and protest!
Why bother with Temple's President and Administration.
She/they just carry out policy dictated from above, POLITICALLY.
So, unless and until our labor unionists ACTIVELY DENOUNCE, RENOUNCE, CRITICIZE, OPPOSE their own UNION labor leadership and its/their Democratic support and policies, they will get NO support from me and/or OTHERS.
It seems WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR OWN UNION and DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERSHIP and POLICIES THEY, THEMSELVES, HAVE A GAG ORDER IN PLACE!
For simplicity purposes, Philadelphia's Temple University and its affiliated Medical/Hospital system primarily receives public, STATE, taxpayer funds. In addition, the Hospital is or is not paid, accordingly, as the case may be, from our complex, arcane, labyrinth and maze, our Byzantine medical insurance system.
These taxpayer state funds do NOT cover all Temple University expenses, so, in addition, a hefty student tuition exists AND there have been growing "public-(for profit)private" institutional, corporate partnerships as well.
Two other MAJOR, large medical teaching institutions and complex facilities exist in the city in addition to Temple University and Hospital in North Philadelphia, Jefferson Hospital AND the greater Hospital, Medical system of the University of Pennsylvania, HUP, Hospital of the Univ of Penna.
BOTH above are COMPLETELY PRIVATE, although, the Univ of Penna receives GOBS of federal taxpayer RESEARCH monies AND the Univ of Penna pays NO local real estate taxes, despite the fact they are a sprawling, major, for-profit land owner and developer in the City and so on.
But, never mind.
These GLARING economic contradictions are NEVER contested.
Nobody above or below seems to care much about such discrepancies.
Anyway, back to the strike.
So, various issues involved, from benefits and pay to patient ratios and a controversial gag order not to discuss, disclose, criticize Hospital Administrative policies and/or patient care.
Both sides reached an impasse in the above after many months of negotiations and a strike was called.
So, Temple University Hospital nurses and support staff, approximately 1,500 give or take, are picketing and walking the streets now protesting against Temple's President and her/their policies.
A sane person MIGHT ask, where are the other health care workers throughout the City in this battle??
Don't they JOIN in support??
Nowhere to be seen.
After all, it is NOT THEIR problem! Not THEIR contract. Not THEIR battle.
BESIDES, MOST IMPORTANTLY, NONE of the city or nation's medical/health care workers, labor unions came out on the streets protesting AGAINST Obooma's HEALTH CARE INSURANCE GIVEAWAY and boondoggle.
NOR Obooma's trillion dollar taxpayer bogus "stimulus monies," gift, bank bailouts and debt.
Instead, before, the UNIONS and their allies CAME OUT ACTIVELY, LOBBYING AND ORGANIZING IN SUPPORT OF THE ABOVE!!
So, MY GUESS is that the REAL reason, motive behind a forced Temple Hospital/Medical labor stalemate, confrontation, POSSIBLY, ultimately, is to eliminate our quasi-State funded Temple Hospital system completely and PRIVATIZE it.
Or, perhaps, maybe, shut it down entirely.
Where will the patients and staff go?
Well, elsewhere, nowhere or on the street.
Too bad!!
Like everyone and everything else here.
They are expendable, redundant.
So, I respond to appeals for "solidarity, support," above by posing the following question, statement, admonition, go out in front of "Progressive" Democratic offices such as State Representative Pinocchio, about whom I have written much in the past who advocates a STATE Single Payer medical insurance System and/or THEIR national and local AFL-CIO offices and/or other local, NATIONAL AND STATE, GOVERNOR Rendell's office, for example, and protest!
Why bother with Temple's President and Administration.
She/they just carry out policy dictated from above, POLITICALLY.
So, unless and until our labor unionists ACTIVELY DENOUNCE, RENOUNCE, CRITICIZE, OPPOSE their own UNION labor leadership and its/their Democratic support and policies, they will get NO support from me and/or OTHERS.
It seems WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR OWN UNION and DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERSHIP and POLICIES THEY, THEMSELVES, HAVE A GAG ORDER IN PLACE!
In contrast, on the subject of labor strikes, back in Turkey, the following developments regarding FORMER STATE COMPANY, TEKEL, and its ongoing battle against PRIVATIZATION!!
And OUR LABOR UNION LEADERSHIP HERE DO, DID and CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING TO SUPPORT ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME IN ANY PLACE WHATSOEVER in their struggles AGAINST privatization.
Just the opposite.
So, fuck you all!
The chickens come home to roost.
Cluck, cluck, cluck, gobble, gobble, gobble:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-police-break-up-labor-protest-2010-04-01
Finally, I thought I would finish with a brief then and now retrospective.
And OUR LABOR UNION LEADERSHIP HERE DO, DID and CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING TO SUPPORT ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME IN ANY PLACE WHATSOEVER in their struggles AGAINST privatization.
Just the opposite.
So, fuck you all!
The chickens come home to roost.
Cluck, cluck, cluck, gobble, gobble, gobble:
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkish-police-break-up-labor-protest-2010-04-01
Finally, I thought I would finish with a brief then and now retrospective.
I searched in vain online for video of former Mine Workers Union President John L. Lewis and his eloquent, vehement Congressional testimony AGAINST the 1947 Taft-Hartley (Slave) Labor Act, as Lewis so aptly described it.
Unfortunately, I could NOT find a video online.
So, instead, here is a glimpse of some vintage Lewis Congressional testimony about the Mine workers strikes during and after WWII:
And, then, a reminder from the multitudinous 1946 US labor strikes which precipitated a long sought after onerous, anti-Communist 1947 Taft-Hartley (Slave) Labor Law, in conjunction with our 1947 anti-Communist National Security Act.
Thus began our institutionalized, codified, legalized NON-ELECTED, shadow NAZI government and State Security apparatus, its proliferating alphabet agency soup, NSA, CIA, NSC, now Homeland Security, etc.
Following immediately upon the heals of the 1947 National Security Act in the early, mid 1950s, Congressman Joe McCarthy began his subversive, anti-Communist, HUAC, Congressional House Un-American Activities hearings, witch hunts, red baiting, labor purges, black listing, the Rosenberg trial and EXECUTION, character assassinations.
And, from then until now it has been a spiral ever downwards, replete with labor leader assassinations, (the Mine Workers, Teamsters), mafia infiltration, penetration, hostile takeovers, the long history of AFL-CIA collaboration, etc.
The rest, as the proverbial they say, is history:
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