The Illinois Nurses Association, representing about 1,700 registered nurses at Chicago-based UI Health, launched a strike on Nov. 13 — the second nurse strike at the health system since August.
Here are five things to know.
1.The strike began at 7 a.m. and will last for an undetermined period.
2. The strike comes as nurses have been negotiating their contract with the hospital since June.
3. During negotiations, UI Health said, in a statement shared with Becker's, that it has "made substantive offers that would lead to meaningful benefits" in terms of compensation and safety and security. Under UI Health's compensation proposal, the average nurse salary would increase more than 21% over four years, when combined with anniversary step increases.
4. The union contends in a news release that, while some progress has been made in negotiations over the last three months, nurse safety and staffing have continued to be sticking points. The INA also said it seeks to achieve safety and staffing improvements and raises in line with nearby institutions.
5. Before the union's first strike in August, a Cook County judge granted the health system's request to prevent certain critical care nurses from participating. This temporary restraining order, which cited "a clear and present danger to the health and safety of the public," remains in effect, but was slightly modified by a judge Nov. 12 to add additional units, according to UI Health.