Nearly 1,000 University of Illinois Hospital nurses prepare to strike

Unionized nurses at University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago are threatening to strike Tuesday if a contract agreement is not reached by Monday night, according to an ABC7 News report.

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees had filed an injunction against the Illinois Nurses Association — which represents more than 1,150 nurses at the 495-bed hospital — asking a judge to stop the union from striking, but a judge ruled that most of the nurses are allowed to strike, according to a Fox Chicago report. About 1,000 nurses are authorized to strike, while nurses who treat critical care patients cannot strike.

The possibility of a strike led hospital officials to transport patients to other healthcare facilities in the area, and the hospital is not admitting any new patients except for those in critical condition, according to the ABC7 News report.

The nurses originally authorized a strike in August. Throughout contract negotiations, wages, scheduling processes and staffing have been contentious issues. Also, according to ABC7 News, language in the contract is a sticking point, as the hospital is seeking staffing flexibility in the case that it follows through with plans to become a smaller hospital. This, according to union officials, could lead to nurse layoffs.

The two parties have a final negotiation meeting Monday. If an agreement is not reached before midnight Monday, the nurses will strike at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

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