Nurses presented UW Health with an official advanced notice of their strike. The strike is for quality patient care, recognition of their union and safe staffing.
According to a press release from SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin, 99% of nurses voted Aug. 24 in favor of the strike. The strike is planned for 7 a.m. Sept. 13 until 7 a.m. Sept. 16.
UW nurses want the UW Health Board and administration to recognize their union in order to avoid the approaching strike, stating that the door for dialogue is remaining open, according to the press release.
“I’m striking to take a stand for quality patient care for my community and the well-being of frontline nurses,” UW Health registered nurse Amanda Klinge said in the press release. “When my nurse colleagues and I see potentially preventable patient care problems occur day after day because of extreme understaffing, it is damaging to our psyche and our very soul.”
The press release stated that the notice ensures patient safety by allowing UW Health to prepare and hire temporary staff.
The nurses plan to hold a press conference about the need for a union voice to alleviate long-term, systemic crises of understaffing, turnover, burnout and cuts, according to the press release. Individuals can view the event on Sept. 5 through a livestream on SEIU Healthcare Wisconsin’s Facebook page.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused working people across the country to demand unions, according to the press release. UW nurses sacrificed three years working on the front lines and now stand at the forefront of the revitalized movement for unionization, respect, protections and fair pay of healthcare workers across the country.
“This is not how our healthcare system should be run, and we refuse to accept this as the ‘new normal,’” Klinge said.
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