UnityPoint Health–Meriter in Madison, Wis., is preparing for a five-day strike beginning May 27 by union nurses.
Service Employees International Union Wisconsin represents nearly 935 registered nurses at the hospital, which is part of a joint operating agreement between UnityPoint Health and Madison-based UW Health. West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health employs more than 29,000 workers total across three states.
Union members issued a 10-day strike notice May 9, according to the Wisconsin Examiner. The union and management have been in negotiations since early February. Shana Wuebben, vice president of human resources for Meriter, said the hospital has “made great strides in our proposals and tentative agreements to date. And we are ready to continue bargaining.”
A post on the union’s Facebook page says nurses are striking “for patient and staff safety, fair compensation, and staffing solutions that include nurses’ voices at the table.”
Both sides remain at odds over wages, security provisions and whether Meriter should implement fixed staffing ratios in the labor contract, according to the Examiner.
“While we do not believe a strike is in the best interest of our ongoing negotiations with the union, we respect our team members and their right to representation,” Sherry Casali MSN, RN, market chief nursing officer for Meriter, said in a statement. “Meriter is well prepared to continue caring for patients and maintaining operations during the strike.”
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