100 Years Ago Today: Strike at the Alland Medical Institution

On October 7, 1925, a significant strike by staff at the Alland Medical Institution, which began early Sunday morning, concluded after extensive negotiations led by Ministerial Councilor Dr. Foramitti from the Public Health Department. A panel will review the circumstances surrounding a recent termination of employment.

Staff members resumed their duties fully this morning. This strike follows a previous wildcat strike that occurred in October 1924 and lasted two days, resulting in the dismissal of a union representative. Tensions between the staff and management have been escalating in recent months, culminating in the dismissal of an employee five weeks ago, who management claimed had committed wrongdoing.

The works council intervened to seek the reversal of this dismissal. However, with the economic director on leave, discussions regarding the situation were postponed until her return last week. What began as a minor issue evolved into a matter of significant prestige for both the management and the works council, with neither side willing to relent. The central organization of hotel, restaurant, and café workers sent representatives to negotiate, but no resolution was reached.

As of Sunday morning, 63 employees, with union backing, went on strike. Upon learning of the strike, patients held a meeting. At the request of Chief Physician Dr. Kurzweil, the 350 patients, which included 100 children, elected a committee of six to represent their interests. They established a form of 'technical emergency aid' to ensure that the patients' basic needs were met during the strike and engaged in discussions with management to secure operations without jeopardizing patient care.

The patients tolerated the situation for a day and a half. However, the decision was made for an immediate evacuation and closure of the institution, which caused significant unrest among the patients. When representatives from various health insurance providers associated with Alland appeared, the situation remained unchanged, and vehicles arrived for patient transport. In response, the patients convened again and made a collective decision to remain in the institution, even considering a hunger strike if necessary. While thirty children were removed, the rest chose to stay.