Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-17
Nurses of St. Michael's
Issue Statement Telling
The Public About Strike

Sas6 SSGSSS9
About Strike
made to get in touch with her and
the same answer given. Fortunately,
one Of the other nurses overheard the
conversation And told the nurse, who
was on duty and had never been sick,
that her home vas calling her. She
reached home only a little while be-
fore her father died. That is why we
want a telephone in our dormitory,
the cost of which we offered to bear
ourselves. 4
Third, Late Leave. We want the
privilege Of going to a picture show,
or accepting the hospitality Of our
friends once each week and return
to the hospital not later than 1880
p. m. We come. off duty at Z p. M
If u work is done-and we must
return to the hospital by $3.50 p. m.
When we ask for "late leave" we
are subjected to an inquisition which
is oftentimes humiliating and when
granted it is given ungraciously,
Fourth. Wages. The increased cost
Of our laundry makes this necessary.
Only a small portion of our launery
is done at the hospital. No starch
things at all. It takes more than the
ave oAANA Pei IOllIl WlllCu we HOW
receive as wages to meet our laundry
bills.
No notice was taken Of or reply
given to this petition during Sunday
or Monday. On Monday night as we
left for u lecture by DIR. Gislason
In the city hall we gave a note to
Mother Grace, asking her to meet us
In the class room on Jul return from
the lecture and to give us her de-
| clSlnn- We Wnnf fn-fho 00oC GO raono mn
our return and on the bulletin board
was this message: mo meeting to-
night. Mother"
We discussed this reply to our re-
quest and the nurses on night duty
four. in number-went down to Sister
Gerard, who was in charge that
night, and told her that as Mother
were going off duty and asked her to
arrange to care for the floors. This
she did in a few minutes, inducing
three of the nurses to go on duty for
the night.
On Tuesday morning, there being
no other reply from Mother Grace
and no change made in the food as
reported by Sister Johanna, who came
to call us, we told her that we were
came to us and offered her services in
arranging a meeting with Mother
Grace. Three senior nurses went with
her n a conference was arranged.
AT this meeting Mother Grace gave
US her decision. Requests for better
food We're granted, late leave was de-
MED. the telephone and wages to be
as in other hospitals. but, owing to
the absence of Miss Guinthner, SUPER
intendent Of nurses. who was in Bis
marck, no final decision could or
would be given on these two requests
until Mother Grace had an oppor-
tunity to consult her. Satisfied with
this agreement and assurance, we
went on duty about 10 a. m. on
Tuesday morning.
At this conference Mother Grace
told us that those nurses who had
signed the petition and had repented
and gone on duty would be amply
rewarded, by her personally. One of
the nurses who took the lead and
wrote the petition is now being
amply rewarded" This conference
was on Tuesday morning.
On the Saturday morning following.
about 1920 a. M, when in the midst
Of u work. the sister on each floor
ordered all Of us who had signed the
petition, to go at nee to the class
room. We had to drop our work and
leave patients in all kinds Of UNI
comfortable conditions-one patient,
being bathed, was left unfinished and
without a night shirt on. We now
understand why we were ordered to
I leave u patients at a moments no
tice. It was done to put us in q "bad
light" with the public. Reports have
come from the hospital that we de.
~liberately left u patients in these
conditions and quit our work without
a moments notice. We were ordered
to report at, once and had no other
choice.
In the lecture room we found Sis,
ter Richards sitting and reading a
magazine. We were in this room
about fifteen minutes when we were
called by one into another room
in which were Father Mulloy, Mother
Grace and Sister Eunice.
Father Mulloy v III the third
degree" He was not only unkind
but insolent, u~pbraiding us for our
conduct and telling us that the doc
tors would not stoop to wipe their
feet Upon us.
He then read a statement which he
said had been drawn up by a leading
Document" This statement bound
us, SO far as we can recall, to abide
by the rules of the hospital "as they
are" and that we would not solicit
the aid of any outside committee tc
alter conditions in the hospital"
After this severe lecture by Father
Mulloy we were told to either sign
this statement or to go to u rooms
pack our trunks and leave the hos.
pital Immediately When W asked