It’s been a rough year for the Gaffney Medical Center, and it will worsen.
After Dayton solved the supply chain issues by pouring more money into the hospital, things returned to normal. The worst problem has been balancing his desire to integrate new technology into the hospital with maintaining high standards of patient care.
But Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 15 spoilers point to a new problem: a custodial strike that could cripple the hospital.
I knew Charles’ optimism about the potential labor dispute was unrealistic! Custodians and other low-paid employees need to put food on the table and support their families; they aren’t going to accept low wages that no longer cover basic needs.
Sharon’s decision not to offer a raise because other unions might demand one too could only blow up in her face. Now, the custodians are striking, and it doesn’t appear that her plan to fly in strikebreakers will work.
Although it might not seem like it, custodial staff is vital to the hospital’s day-to-day operations. Cleanliness is essential in a hospital, where poor sanitation could lead to the unnecessary spread of severe disease or increased infections in post-surgical patients.
And if other low-paid workers, such as cafeteria workers, join the strike, it could cripple the hospital’s ability to function.
In addition, a strike means patients and doctors must walk through the picket line to enter the hospital building. Patients are often reluctant to get needed care as it is; the strike won’t help any of that.
Clips in the spoiler video suggest the strike leads to staff shortages, supply issues, and general difficulties in providing patients with high-quality care.
Thanks to his relationships with Liliana and Sharon, Dr. Charles is already stuck in the middle of this conflict. The pressure to choose a side will intensify and his newfound romance could be at risk.
He might not have time to worry about it because his schizophrenic patient is back.
David first appeared on Chicago Med Season 8 Episode 1, when his parents refused to accept that he had schizoaffective disorder and took him home instead of accepting treatment. Given these circumstances, David’s return was inevitable. It was only a question of when he’d be back.
His return couldn’t come at a worse time. With the custodial strike, hospital resources are at an all-time low, and it may be difficult to treat David.
David also suffers from paranoid delusions; he thought the hospital food was poisoned the last time. How will he react to the striking workers outside or the tension within the hospital walls?
Charles and Cuevas will have their hands full with this case, especially if David’s parents still don’t want to consent to treatment. If the hospital is in disarray, that will do little to convince them that they should entrust Charles and Cuevas with the care of their son!
Elsewhere, Marcel will have to try to treat a girl with serious injuries despite the strike conditions.
It’s probably a good thing he opted to take a technology break. I can’t imagine the hospital can afford to keep OR 2.0 running during the strike.
Marcel’s patient is a young girl who sustains injuries at her family’s farm. She likely was doing labor that she was ill-equipped to handle.
This story might provide an interesting parallel to the strike story. The patient may have been working in dangerous conditions, and her family might have prioritized getting things done over her safety and well-being.
In any case, Marcel’s case will be complicated by the strike. According to a scene in the spoiler video, he shakes his head sadly while Sharon tells Dayton she may need to shut down the ED if the strike can’t be settled.
Dayton’s in the best position to end the strike, but he probably won’t know what to do. This issue can’t be settled simply by throwing money at it; he needs to understand the strikers’ demands and their impact on the hospital if they agree.
The strikers will likely get a raise, but it may not be the six percent they hoped for. Who will blink first?
Elsewhere, Archer also has a patient in dire straits. In his case, the patient has a foreign object in their stomach. Archer may need the OR, expensive tests, or otherwise find his ability to help the patient compromised thanks to the strike.
I’m curious as to what his opinion may be about the strike. Archer is unpredictable; he’s sometimes rebellious and is anti-technology, but it’s hard to guess his opinion on a given issue.
He won’t put up with being unable to practice medicine appropriately, but what will he do?
Likely, the strain on the hospital doesn’t come from any one case but from all the emergencies happening simultaneously while the hospital has to scale back operations because of the strike.
This story is unique for medical dramas, which often focus on the doctors and allow support staff to remain invisible.
What do you think, Chicago Med fanatics? Will the strike be resolved by the end of the hour? Do you want it to be?
Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button, and let us know your thoughts. And don’t forget that you can watch Chicago Med online while waiting for the new episode to air.
Chicago Med airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 8 PM EST / PST.
Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.
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