St. Joseph Nurses Association (SJNA) gave their 10-day strike notice on Friday August 11.
Ascension St. Joseph and the nurses’ union have been negotiating for a new contract since May. At the end of July, the union conducted a strike authorization vote where 87% voted in favor of a strike. The last bargaining session between the hospital and the union was on August 1st.
Although the nurses have made small gains, Ascension officials haven’t given an adequate wage increase and established a wage scale that increases alongside experience. The Illinois Nurses Association found that competitors like Silver Cross can pay up to 30% more than St. Joseph.
ICU nurse Katherine Soprych, questioned, “Why aren’t the nurses in Joliet worthy of the same pay?”
Nurses have had enough. As a result of poor wages and conditions, the hospital has lost over 350 nurses in the past few years, said Sarah Hurd, INA Organizer.
SJNA board member Janine Johnson said, “For months we have tried to convince Ascension to spend its money on retaining its own staff.”
Ascension St. Joseph has begun hiring new staff nurses who are higher paid but excluded from Union participation by the hospital.
Soprych said she first noticed this when she realized that when she would talk about the union at new hire orientation, the hospital would have new staff nurses leave before her presentation.
The INA has filed a federally actionable unfair labor practice and plans to go on strike Tuesday, August 22nd.This strike will last two days and address Ascension’s attempt to “erode the union,” said Hurd.
This is only the most recent charge filed by the SJNA. St. Joseph has been reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health for unsafe staffing levels and illegal disciplinary actions for nurses. They are also currently being sued for wage theft by several nurses. The hospital did not reply to The Times Weekly’s requests for comment on this issue.
In preparation for the strike, the hospital announced they would bring in staffing agency nurses to supplement those on strike. Instead of them contracting outside nurses for the two days SJNA strikes, they will be hiring them for four.
“We will be locked out for four days,” said nurse Kaitlynd French. “These other people will be inside my house, while I’m fighting more family inside.”
SJNA estimates that agency nurses will make $7,000 during this time.
In a statement Ascension wrote, “we respect our associates’ right to organize themselves through union representation, as well as participate in a work stoppage event.”
This statement comes after previously including harsh language against organizing in the nurse’s previous contract. The contract allowed possible litigation by Ascension over “unlawful” strike planning. They threatened to use this clause in Fall 2022 to seek damages against the union when nurses refused to begin a shift, until they were safely staffed in the ICU.
Ascension and SJNA agreed on changing this language at the end of July. INA staff specialist John Fitzgerald, said at the time, “I felt very optimistic about the parties ability to negotiate and that they were acting in good faith.”
However, Ascension canceled yesterday’s negotiating session when the union gave notice of their strike. Fitzgerald said he has since lost faith in meaningful bargaining and has not seen Ascension engage in any form to truly address wages and staffing.
“They are acting like they don’t want to get a deal done,” he said.
Soprych shared that although she is very frustrated, she is hopeful.
“The nurses are coming together and ready to fight,” said Soprych. Nurses spoke before Joliet City Council yesterday to overwhelming support.
The nurses have set up a GoFundMe page where people can donate here.
