PITTSBURGH — Union nurses at West Penn Hospital have voted to authorize a strike.
On Wednesday, union nurses votes 99.3% in favor of authorizing their negotiating committee to send a strike notice if necessary, rejecting contract proposals from the Allegheny Health Network (AHN) as inadequate to address the region’s nurse staffing crisis.
The nurses are calling for resources to recruit new nurses and retain experienced ones. They said the hospital’s nursing staff must obtain 100 more registered nurses to meet the region’s growing patient care needs, a representative from SEIU Healthcare PA said.
“This overwhelming vote to authorize our nurse negotiating committee to send a strike notice sends a clear message: we are united for our patients and we are not backing down. While we have made some progress in our negotiations, we have not seen AHN commit to the levels of investment necessary to keep nurses at the bedside.” said Kari Xander, neonatal intensive care nurse and union president at West Penn. “We don’t want to strike, but we’re ready to take action for our patients.”
Last fall, Allegheny General Hospital nurses won market-leading investments to retain experienced staff and increase start rates to $40 an hour. Nurses at West Penn Hospital are now calling on AHN to expand on the AGH contract and raise standards across the region as part of a push to prioritize patient care.
“It’s inspiring seeing what AGH nurses accomplished last year: a historic investment in new and experienced nurses. AGH nurses set a standard for the rest of the region. Now it’s on us to carry the baton. If we want patients in this region to receive the best possible care, we must raise standards for all nurses in the region.” said Jordan Markiewicz, emergency room nurse at West Penn Hospital.
A date for a strike at West Penn Hospital has not been set.
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