Staff Reports
A new poll from Investor's Business Daily says that President Joe Biden's approval rate for the economy has reached a new low. And now, to make things even worse, a labor disagreement between hospital workers is making things even worse.
IBD/TIPP Poll: President Biden's approval rating has fallen to the lowest level since he took office.
Approve 36% [-5]
Disapprove 54% [+5]The Economy
Approve 24% [-7]
Disapprove 56% [+6][Change vs Sept. 1]
TIPP (A-) | n=1,378 | Sept. 27-29https://t.co/VjMfJdyP4Z
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) October 2, 2023
According to Breitbart, 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente hospitals went on strike on Wednesday and held picket lines. Not only is one state on strike, but six states and the District of Columbia are also on strike. The main points of disagreement are wages and a lack of staff.
But let us see what this all means in a bigger picture. These workers say Kaiser is understaffing its centers to make more money. I'm sorry, but hospitals aren't meant to be money-making machines. Their job is to take care of people and give them the best medical care possible. If Kaiser has to lay off workers to make ends meet, they might want to take a close look at how they run their business and how much money they spend.
Kaiser has hired casual workers to keep emergency rooms open because of the strike. But let's be honest: who wants to wait around for meetings or have non-urgent procedures moved to a different time? This labor conflict is not only making things more difficult, but it's also putting patients' health at risk.
The union representatives want a base wage of $25 an hour and raises of 7% per year for the first two years and 6.25% per year after that. That's it? That's asking a lot. Remember that people who work in healthcare are not the only ones going through hard times. Under the Biden government, many small businesses are struggling to stay open, and hardworking Americans have to deal with skyrocketing prices and higher taxes.
Kaiser has responded with a plan to set a minimum hourly wage between $21 and $23, which, given the situation, seems like a good idea. We need to find a middle ground. We should pay healthcare workers fairly for the important work they do, but we also shouldn't forget that too many requests can hurt the healthcare system as a whole.
As we watch this labor struggle play out, it's clear that Biden's economic mistakes have split the country, and hospital workers are making things even worse. It's time for the government to step up and find solutions that put patients' health first without putting too much stress on businesses and taxpayers.
