ST. LOUIS — Nurses at SSM Health ºüÀêÊÓƵ University Hospital voted Friday to give their bargaining committee the authority to call a strike if contract talks are unsuccessful.
The vote was 94% in favor, the union said in a news release.
If the decision to go on strike is made, the nurses say they will provide up to 10 days of advance notice to the hospital’s administration to “allow for alternative plans to be made for patient care.â€
The nurses, who are represented by National Nurses United, and hospital administrators have been in contract negotiations since May.
Among the union’s complaints is what it says is chronic short-staffing of nurses and ancillary staff, which it says poses safety concerns for both patients and employees. The union cites a high vacancy rate for registered nurse positions, which it says has been “higher than 30% since the spring of 2022.†The nurses blame administrators for “failure to recruit and retain experienced nurses.â€
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The union took those concerns to the public at an informational picket in July.
“Our patients deserve quality care from well-staffed units. SLUH nurses on the front lines are willing to put everything on the line for our patients and our profession. It is deeply disturbing that management has been unwilling to adopt staffing standards that have been proven to save lives. That’s why we have voted to authorize a strike,†said Earline Shepard, a nurse in the cardiac catherization lab at SLUH, said in a statement.