University of Cincinnati Medical Center nurses have authorized their union bargaining team to issue a 10-day strike notice if they deem necessary amid contract negotiations, the Enquirer reported.
The Registered Nurses Association of the medical center, a local unit of the Ohio Nurses Association, authorized the strike during voting June 23 and June 24.
The vote does not mean a strike will occur, but it gives the union the option of calling a strike if an agreement isn't reached. The current agreement expires June 30.
"We are committed to always doing what is right for our patients and our team members. These results are decided only by those who actually voted, and we don't believe that this result reflects the majority view of our 1,500-plus nurses," Amanda Nageleisen, UC Health spokesperson, said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract that supports all of our nurses."
During negotiations, the Registered Nurses Association has cited staffing, recruitment, retention, vacation, holiday and extra shift bonuses as key issues.
According to the Enquirer, the union said the medical center has lost nurses to more lucrative subcontracting jobs, resulting in hundreds of vacancies.
"Because of burnout ... we've been having a lot of nurses (leave) the medical center and going to the travel roles. One, because they pay more, but also because, you know, what we think is the lack of retention efforts from the hospitals," Andrew Beiersdorfer, a registered nurse and member of the local association's contract negotiation team, told the newspaper.
The union also contends staffing in various hospital areas has been inadequate, which could jeopardize patient care, and is pushing for a commitment to nurse-to-patient ratios.
Ms. Nageleisen acknowledged a shortage of nurses and said the medical center has relied on travel nurses to support medical center nurses amid the shortage, according to the Enquirer. She also emphasized the medical center's continued investment in hiring.
Negotiations between the medical center and union are scheduled June 28, June 29 and June 30.
Read the full Enquirer report here.