L.A. Metro’s Symposium & the Long Beach Memorial RN Strike

It's later with mo Kelly. How's your Monday been going? Hopefully pretty well? Is it a holiday? I know it was Mother's Day yesterday, but it felt like a holiday. I got on the freeway, it wasn't too crowded. My commute was not too long. I got into the garage and it wasn't too a fill that. I'm thinking, like, wait a minute, maybe the joke.

Is on me.

Did someone send out a memo and I didn't get it.

I pulled in it was everywhere to park. Usually there's nowhere to park. Today there was everywhere to park. I had no problem getting to the office. It's almost like somebody knows something I do not.

Here we are back on a Monday, Mark Ronald, good evening, sir. How was your weekend? You know it was.

It was way too short, but I got a chance to take in a movie or two. I went to a special screening of Karate Kid Legends.

I may tell you about that later. Uh huh huh.

You know, I I was ruminating about that after we had just a couple of texts. I'm just kind of over that. I have had all the nostalgia from that that I require, and.

I think too much of a good thing. Maybe at this point. Yeah, you might be right, that's all I'll say. Oh my god, you might be right. I hope this is being recorded. We're starting off the week agreed that that is unsettling. Oh we're off to a horrible start. Serious, Stephan, Did you uber this weekend?

I did.

Did you make a little bit of money or a lot of money? I made a pretty good amount of money.

Do they pay you each night?

Well, you have the option to take it out whenever you want, but if you don't take it out yourself, it's weekly.

Okay, that's not bad. Yeah, it's pretty cool. O bad Twillert sharp. Did you go to any concerts with your daughter this weekend?

No?

You sure? No? No, seriously, slept in pretty much all weekend.

Man, Shockingly, that is sometimes a good weekend, A good weekend, the best. We got so much to cover locally. Just want to let you know at the bottom of the hour, we're going to talk about the Long Beach Memorial Nurses strike, which has been announced and scheduled for May twenty second. That could have all sorts of impact and influence on your lives, especially if you're in Southern California.

We'll talk about that at the bottom of the hour. I have to start off.

With some local news here, and it's unfortunate, but is relevant to things we've discussed on this show.

And I say this not as I told you so, but.

More as let me warn you one more time that you do not take going to the gas station lightly. I say that I do not go to the gas station at night, but whenever I do, which is always in the daytime, my head is always on a swivel because I know I am more likely to be victimized at a gas station than any other time, if only because you're there to spend money, presumably your stationary. You may be distracted, your car door is opened, they know you have your keys on you. You are more likely

I'm seeing a mile. Oh okay, then they've updated. That's in my copy. I don't know. I'm sure the story will shape up throughout the evening.

No, since it happened earlier today, there may be some conflicting information. I'm getting this from ABC seven. I can't speak for you. It's horrifying one way or the other. The man fell out of the car and was taken to a hospital where he later died. And there's nothing

Yeah.

No, And interesting enough, I practice gas station safety whenever I going today on the way in, I had to stop and get gased, and in dropping off, actually dropping my son off.

He didn't understand why I did it.

But I get out the car and I close the doors, leave the AC runner and I lock the doors, lock the doors, and then I go and get my gas.

He's like, I'm in the car. Why'd you lock there? I'm like, because of car jackers. He's like, well, Dumbe's coming around here.

I'm like, that's the type of mentality that you have when you get jacked. No one's gonna come around here.

It's the false sense of security, believing that because it's broad daylight. You know, this is twelve twenty three in the afternoon, that's when we're probably most relaxed. Twelve twenty three in the afternoon is when I would usually get my gas, maybe on the way to work, and that's when something bad could happen. I'm quite sure as a seventy eight year old man, he was looked upon. Its

And if you're going to go, don't go at night. And when you do go, you have to remain attentive at all times, because that's when you are more susceptible than other times. I see this all the time.

I'm sorry, Mark, I see this all the time where I see some people go through a gas station car wash and right at the end they'll go apart right there out the exit and they start vacuuming, cleaning out the back of their car. And every single time I see people just nose in in the car back to the world with their door open.

I'm like, you are looking like a victim. You're looking like a victim right now. Be safe out there. It's later with Kelly when we come back.

We have a Metro update, and interestingly enough, it has to do with safety and the elderly that's next.

You're listening to Later with mo Kelly on demand from KFI AM six forty.

It's Later with mo Kelly.

I gotta tell you, just in case you didn't know, we're still live on YouTube at mister mo Kelly m R M O K E L L Y. I gotta tell you. I'm getting offended again for another occasion. Metro is doing something and not including me. How are you gonna have the ninth annual Older Adult Transportation Expo, which is put on by La Metro at that Pasadena convention Center happened.

Last Friday and not invite me.

I'm like doubly offended because they were talking about taking seniors fifty five years and older. First, that's fed up. I'm fifty five and they're considering me a senior. All right, that's number one and number two. You didn't at least give me the respect of inviting me to the event because I might have had something to add.

Well, maybe they're working on something else, like naming a new mo Kelly HEMO stat for people who have been injured.

I don't know. I don't know.

I would like to know, though they're not including me in the conversation. You at least could have hosted the seminar. Wouldn't I have been great for that. Yes, it would have been a great community event, and it could have built bridges. It could have improved their media outreach and their coverage. But now they just completely ignored me. But anyhow,

It's like built in KFI six forty.

Six hundred and forty senior citizens did that on purpose.

That's not a mistake. It rights itself.

They're playing in my face, I tell you, I tell you, and they were supposedly. Met was focused on teaching older adults how to use the metro system, successfully loading and using a tap card for entering trains and buses, and also listening to their concerns. You know what their number one concern was, anyone, anyone feeler the new security fairgates, no safety getting killed, shot, stabbed, I don't know, abducted.

Quote.

A lot of older people are afraid to travel on trains and buses because they don't think it is safe that's Marilyn Peters and La Metro travel buddy for eight years down in the Crenshaw District. Okay, this is what Maryland does before she starts an outing with a new group. She emails them safety precautions. Bring a small purse, keep your cell phone inside your purse, Have your TAP card ready so you're not rummaging for it. Always be alert,

It doesn't work that way. It's not the numbers.

It's the environment that you create and can sustain consistently, which makes one feel safer.

Maybe they need new slogan, like Metro it's not just for apex predators.

I don't know if that's going to be good enough. I don't know, Mark.

You might be onto something you think, well, part of it is so numbers aren't supposed to make us feel better.

No, I don't think so. Oh okay, no, no, no, no, not not in a vacuum. Yeah.

You know, if you were to walk up to me and say, hey, mo, zero percent of people were stabbed today, does that make me feel any better? Not really, because someone can get stabbed tomorrow and we have the totality of the information and the stats to know that there is still a distinct possibility that something is going to

Why we don't have that Metro security force.

You don't have that individual who's on every bus or every train or at every platform.

But maybe since they have hired a new Metro police chief, that is probably first on his docket.

Well I'm so yeah, I'm sure that is, and they will be hiring people. But that's not tomorrow, that's not next week, that's not next month. I honestly, you don't even think it's next year. I think it's more like twenty twenty seven, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, so whatever they're telling these elderly folks. And still I'm mad that they think fifty five is elderly, okay, man, but it is.

I'm looking forward to that. No, no, no, I know five, you've crossed the rubica.

I would like to think that I am still able bodied enough where I don't need physical assistance to get on a freaking bus. Okay, but did you get an AARP card. No, they sent me an aa RP card. I didn't ask for one. They started sending me that information when I turned like forty five. And that's like, hey, slow down fast, AARP. I don't know you like that. We're not in a relationship.

Okay. It's like they want to just consummate the relationship on the first day. It's like, look, I don't even know you. Can we sit down and talk.

Oh, don't be so quick to reject it. Maybe there's some good deals in there for a man of your age.

There are, there are.

And that was the only problem with it, because I was willing to sit down and listen to them. You can't say no because they actually do give good deals. They are so I was looking at them. I might go to Denny's tonight. Too much good stuff.

There were some deals in there. It's like, okay, well, maybe I should just think about this for a while. It's good story.

Yeah, it's my pride keeps getting in the well. Dismiss it now, don't dismiss it. I was in the hallway. True story, and I'm glad none of you saw this. But I was in the hallway doing push ups because I was having an internal struggles like, wait, man, I can't be at that age where I'm going to be considered a senior. I just know I reject it. I rebuke thee get behind these state satan. I know, I know I'm not I'm not too old.

For this ish. I refuse.

So you're doing push ups in the hallway like Jack Palance doing them at the oscars, just to prove something to people.

I can still do one arm push ups. By the way, Yeah, I'm just throwing that out there. Okay, strong light bull. Everybody wants to see that.

Very virile. Hey, you know we can we can't.

Can't.

I heard that. I am not. I'm not playing agaful.

These cameras are here for a reason. I think you kind of have to do it. No, I really don't have to do it. Just no, no, we have to get to the card.

So no, no, no pull up.

How many people want to see MO do one push up?

Just one? Just one me one? Okay.

When we come back, we're going to talk about Long Beach Memorial and how the nurses there have announced a one day strike for patient safety.

Coming up on May twenty second.

We'll talk about some of the issues surrounding that and what it may actually be like for those nurses who are working at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

That's next you're listening to Later with mo Kelly on Demand from KFI AM six forty.

When mo Kelly on k.

Six registered nurses at Memorial Care Long Beach Medical Center gave notice to their employer back on May eighth that they will hold a one day strike starting at seven am on May twenty second, to protest the hospital's refusal to what they call a dishonest engagement in good faith negotiations over needed improvements to patient care, nurse working conditions

Thank you, Mo? I'm doing well.

How should I describe how desperate or I should say how concerned nurses are at the working conditions at Long Beach Memorial.

Well. The primary reason for the nurses going on strike is for the sake of our patients and also for ourselves, you know, our our protests is it's towards the management for their refusal to just address the concerns that the nurses have regarding safe patient care, staffing, workplace violence protections, and you know, just the overall wellbeing of the patient population that we care for at Memorial and other children.

Do I have this correct?

That there was a negotiation which was planned for late last week and instead of the negotiation they handed out pink slips to various nurses.

Is that correct?

The negotiation was set for last Friday and our management team decided did not to appear. Our nurse negotiation team did it follow through and we were present at the table ready to meet and discuss and hopefully come together with a contract that was fair and equitable. But again the management of the hospital decided that they would not come.

Tell me about what's it like on an average day in Long Beach Memorial because of these issues.

Are nurses being overworked?

Are they not getting the type of support and support staff that they need? What are some of the central issues which is having nurses speak out and also protest picket and eventually go on strike May twenty second.

So Mo, what we are asking for regarding the safe staffing is, you know, we want to be able to take care of our patients the best way we can, and when we have units that are not fully staffed, patients are waiting for long periods of time for care in our emergency departments. Those kinds of situations are concerning to the nurses and to the community.

Now that you are shorter staffed, because I know there have been layoffs, what is the concern In other words, are there going to be any gaps in patient help or patient care between now and the twenty second because of these recent layoffs.

So because of one of the things that we're asking for with regards to our pro tests, it does have to do with services being cut to the community. An example is our outpatient children's clinics. Because of these layoffs that you mentioned of, some of those services are quite possibly not going to continue the way that the community

Attain if you're just tuning in.

My guess right now is Nedra Gails, who is a registered nurse working at Long Beach Memorial Or talking about how nurses have given notice to their employer that on May twenty second, they plan to go on a one day strike starting at seven am on May twenty second, to bring more light to negotiations with it, which at this point have been stalled over needed improvements to patient care,

Everyone? How does.

The hospital continue to function without your work.

So well? One of the big deals about this strike. We proposed a one day strike starting on May twenty second and ending night of May twenty second. The management of the hospital has elected to lock us out until well for four days, so it'll be a toll of five days that you know we will be away from the bedside.

Does that let me jump in there?

Does that mean that patients will be lacking for care or will they be bringing in other nurses from other locations or other physicians assistance if you will, to cover the gap while you are not working there during that time.

So, during the time that we are out on strike, the hospital management has made the decision to bring in replacement, and it comes on that decision comes on the heels of the approximately nurses that have been laid off, and it gives kind of a mixed what's the word like? It gives us Yeah, because the hospital is investing in outside workforce when there have been nurses that have been laid off from their jobs and then we were willing and are willing to come back to work after our protests. No,

I don't want to get to a far ahead of what your union is proposing to do, but in a general sense, if we continue on this path and management at Long Beach Memorial is reluctant to negotiate or does not start restart negotiations, or or does not meet your demands prior to the strike at this point is listed as one day, but could this then be extended for an indeterminate amount of time and just go on into in perpetuity until your demands have been met.

The more you know again, our negotiations team is willing and wanting to reach an agreement before any type of decision like that is made, because the nurses really want to take care of our patients. That's what we really want to do.

Let me ask you this, what is morale like among many of the nurses that you work with, those who you speak with. I have some friends full disclosure who do work at Long Beach Memorial, and I know what they say to me about their level of frustration. What is it you hear beyond what you experience.

The nurses that I have experienced. The feeling is we all want the same things. We want staff thing to improve. We want our paces to be taken care of in a safe manner, and we want to provide a safe place for the patients and for the nurses.

At the end of the day, before I let you go, Nedric Gail's, I wonder have you found any solidarity or support from the other staff at the hospital? I mean from doctors, I don't know, radiologists, anyone else who may work alongside by side with you in the hospital. Long Beach Memorial. What have they been saying? Are they willing to stand with you on any level?

I can say more that there is a grit great deal of solidarity for this particular action and for the want that our nurses have put forth.

She is Netra Gails, registered nurse at Long Beach Memorial, and I would say a representative of the fight to improve nursing conditions at Long Beach Medical Center.

Metre Gails.

I have been following this issue from AFAR, but now I'm a little bit more closely involved and associated and watching it evolve. Can we have you back on the future in the future so we can further follow up.

On this, Mo, if you would call me, I would come absolutely.

We'll have you again. It's Later with Mo Kelly.

We're live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app and also on YouTube at mister Kelly, m R M O K E L L Y.

You're listening to Later with Mo Kelly on demand from KFI A M six forty.

It's Later with Moe Kelly. We're live on YouTube.

And I'd mentioned that being live on YouTube because some people have asked for this. I did not ask for it, but some people have asked for it. Earlier in the show, I made the point that I was doing some pushups in the hallway, because if you don't know me, before the show, I'm usually getting my steps in. I'm walking around, getting my heart racing, get my blood going, because when you do a three hour show, you can't come in like you've just been sitting down for the past two hours.

So I will do some light exercising.

If you've seen a CAFI, we have a basketball goal, a mini basketball goals, so I'll shoot some baskets on occasion whatever, just try to get some exercise in. And I don't know who decided to say I think it's probably Mark Ronner something about doing push ups, and I made just a response, Yeah, I could even do a one arm push up, and then it's.

Like, oh, here we go, he's got to do this with one arm push ups.

So to that end, I said I would do one one arm push up, and if Daniel should bring in the camera, I'll do it one huh.

That's impressive. Yeah.

Look, no expectations, you know, and no expectations, no disappointments. So if I were to do two, it's.

Like, wow, he did not.

Only what he did two, But if I say, yeah, I can do thirty oo, No, I can't do thirty one on them push ups. But the true story is I had started doing them way way back in the day when I first saw who do It?

Rocky? When Rocky was training and did the one I push ups, Like, I wonder if I could do that?

Did you punch some meat too? No, I chased some chicken stuff. I'm kidding. I didn't do any of that stuff. That was just the one arm push up. That meat punching, don't sell that short. That'll catch you in shape fast. Do you know that punching slabs of meat will probably break your hand? I mean those are actual bones you're hitting for. The moms say that those are like really strong.

So I can't imagine actual meat.

And not only that, if you don't hit something, be it a bag or a bag of meat, correctly. You can easily break your wrists, break your knuckles.

It's all bad.

Certain things you should not do just because you saw them in the movies.

What's that you got in your hand? Carnaesia, Turn on your mic. Turn on Carnacio's mic. This is the camera to watch you do your one arm push up. Oh you want me to do it now? You ready? Probably? Not? All right?

Let me turn this off here and you can follow me around.

Foush. I think you need to narrate this.

Yeah, so he's coming around, he's getting ready to go. We're about to uh.

Around yep. Oh, three, four, five, six, seven? Are you ready? With the heart paddles food?

Eight?

He's doing pretty well. Actually, what do you do? Like a dozen of them? I think it was, Oh he got eleven? Wow, eleven, I'll take it. I was that was impressive. He did it pretty falllessly.

Oh.

I was pleased to see that you were able to get back up. Well done, my goodness.

And honestly, I haven't done him in a while, so I wasn't like sure where I would fall in the spectrum, but I knew I could get one.

Yeah. I thought it was brave of you to do that without one of those life alert bracelets. Brave. You know you're not you know you're not exactly younger than me.

Right, I don't know what you're talking about, and you should be careful what you say on the air.

Now, the YouTube feed, I have it like a set a little bit behind me, so I get to watch it now.

I did pretty good.

Yeah, if I do say so myself. All right, I won't be break dancing tonight either. I am tired. Wow, all right, what are we going to talk about for the next two minutes?

I think you did a spectacular job for a man of your stature and condition, and you should be applauded.

Can I get some applause?

I mean metaphorically, I want, I actually want applause. You know, hercules, hercules, hercules.

So she got some canned applause in there that would be appropriate for you. I'll take an air horn. I'll take an air horn. Isn't that kind of alarming for you? Though? No, not at all. Doesn't that raise your blood pressure? No?

No?

Are you sure what the push ups probably did? Yeah? That's like lifting weights. All right, we'll go tell you very much. We're going to break early because I need a nap, Get him some oxygen.

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