Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., have voted to authorize a strike, according to a hospital statement shared with Becker's July 11.
The vote does not mean a strike will occur. The United Steelworkers International Union, which represents about 1,800 nurses at the hospital, would provide a 10-day strike notice before such action is taken.
Union members' last contract with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital expired June 30. Both sides have been in contract negotiations.
During negotiations, nurses have been seeking to limit how much they are required to pay into their health insurance, Judy Danella, president of the USW Local 4-200 and a registered nurse at the hospital, said, according to TAPinto New Brunswick.
Ms. Danella also told the publication that the key sticking point in negotiations has been staffing and that the hospital is "not staffed the way it should be."
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital expressed disappointment about the strike authorization vote and said nurses have rejected "what we believe is a fair and equitable proposal."
The hospital said this includes a "generous package that ensures our nurses remain at the top for years to come. On average our wage proposal is 14 percent higher than the average published rates for similar New Jersey hospitals."
The hospital also said it has approved more than 100 full-time registered nurses to the budget, onboarded more than 600 RNs since 2022, and has proposed a collaborative council to continue to address staffing concerns.
A strike notice had not been given as of 9:05 a.m. CDT July 11.