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What's At Stake?Petition: The Department of Justice Should Investigate Nurse Wage SuppressionIn 2004, more than 500,000 nurses chose to work outside of the nursing profession, despite an anticipated need of more than one million nurses by 2014. The U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded in 2001 that poor job satisfaction—including low pay—was the key to an emerging nurse shortage. When wages for nurses increased in 2001-2003, hospitals added 186,500 nurses. But when wages began to fall in 2004, the number of nurses working in hospitals dropped as many hospitals continue to rely on mandatory overtime, contingent workers, and understaffing.
This summer, major class action lawsuits were filed against national hospital corporations in four cities – Chicago, Memphis, San Antonio, and Albany, N.Y. – alleging that they have colluded illegally to hold down nurse wages. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) was invited to join with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC in announcing the suits because of the work the Nurse Alliance of SEIU did to help expose the wage issues that led to the filings. "With the health care industry making more than $26 billion in profits in 2004, we can do better," said
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