Members of Service Employees International Union Wisconsin began a five-day strike May 27 at UnityPoint Health-Meriter in Madison, Wis.
Five things to know:
1. The strike involves approximately 950 nurses at the hospital, which is part of a joint operating agreement between UnityPoint Health and Madison-based UW Health. It is the first strike by nurses at Meriter, according to the Wisconsin Examiner.
2. A post on the union’s Facebook page said nurses are striking “for patient and staff safety, fair compensation, and staffing solutions that include nurses’ voices at the table.”
3. The hospital posted an update May 27 saying Meriter remains open during the strike and that contract nurses, who are filling in during the strike, were onboarded over the holiday weekend.
4. The strike comes as the union and management have been in negotiations since early February. Both sides remain at odds over wages, security provisions and whether Meriter should implement fixed staffing ratios in the labor contract, according to the Examiner.
5. Both sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on May 29, and the strike will continue if a tentative agreement is not reached.
