Members of the Illinois Nurses Association have filed a 10-day notice of intent to strike at Chicago-based UI Health, starting Nov. 13. The action would be the second nurse strike at UI Health since August.
The union represents about 1,700 registered nurses at the health system. As part of the University of Illinois Chicago, UI Health is an academic health enterprise that comprises the University of Illinois Hospital, dozens of primary and specialty care clinics, and seven UIC health science colleges.
Union members voted to authorize a strike in October. The union and UI Health have been in negotiations for months, and the last labor contract expired in August, according to an INA news release shared with Becker's.
The union contends that UI Health management is rejecting language it has proposed to ensure safe staffing. It also contends that management has rejected nurses' requests "for guarantees of a more consistent security presence and support for nurses who experience violence on the job." Additionally, it contends it cannot settle for the wage proposal currently being offered by UI Health.
In a prepared statement, UI Health said, "[t]he majority of UI Health nurses currently are paid better than 90% of nurses in the Chicagoland area. Under our current proposal, UI Health nurses will continue to receive top pay compared to Chicagoland peers."
If both sides fail to reach a deal, the strike would be the second since August. Union RNs began a seven-day strike on Aug. 19, which concluded without a final agreement, and the nurses returned to work on Aug. 26.
"Our focus is maintaining the highest level of safety and care for our patients while ensuring the efficiency of our facilities and operations as we anticipate a potential work stoppage," UI Health said in a statement shared with Becker's Nov. 1.
"We have in place comprehensive plans to anticipate, respond to and mitigate staffing disruptions that may occur over the coming weeks, including a process to secure nursing agency staff, ensuring that in the event of a strike our patients continue to receive the outstanding care they need."