Union strike/being forced over

[ziphash]

My wife works as an ER secretary for a hospital in WV. Last year, the employees voted to bring in the union but haven't voted on a contract yet. The union has scheduled a one-day strike next month.

My wife doesn't work the day of the strike but does work the evening before. The strike is to take place on a Wednesday. She works 4 pm - 12 am Tuesday. Our question is, if no one shows up for work, how long can she be forced to work? There's only one nightturn person (12 am to 8 am), but there are two people who work from 7 am to 11 pm. So if no one shows up, not only could she be forced over, but she could be stuck doing a two-person job by herself.

Could she be forced to work the entire day which would end up being a 32 hr. shift from 4 pm the day before the strike until midnight the next day?

 

[Beth3]

Could she be forced to work the entire day which would end up being a 32 hr. shift from 4 pm the day before the strike until midnight the next day? Yes, it's possible. Common sense dictates that an employee would become a non-productive zombie well before that however.

Assuming management is aware of what may take place, presumably they have an emergency contingency plan in place regarding staffing. If the union employees walk off the job, it's also possible they could find themselves barred from re-entry when they decide to return to work. Employees can stage a strike; employers can stage a lock-out. Either way, it won't be pretty.