More than 700 nurses at Amita St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet went on strike this morning, saying management has engaged in unfair labor practices including intimidation and threats of termination if employees walked off the job, according to a statement from the union, the Illinois Nurses Association.
An Amita Health statement on July 2 said the hospital would bring in other Illinois-licensed nurses during a strike, cancel non-urgent surgeries and be prepared to have ambulances bypass the 480-bed hospital, if necessary. The hospital also was prepared to transfer some special care nursery and pediatric patients to Amita Health Adventist Medical Center in Hinsdale.
The union said last week it had filed four unfair labor practice complaints against the hospital for intimidation and coercion and for refusing to bargain in good faith.
"As a faith-based organization, we respect our associates’ legal rights to engage in collective and concerted activity and have fully complied with all requirements under the National Labor Relations Board throughout our negotiations leading up to this unfortunate strike," said Timothy Nelson, Amita Health system director of communications and media relations, said in an emailed statement today.
Nurses, who have been working without a contract since May 9, are seeking wage increases, staffing minimums and to retain an extended illness bank benefit that allows nurses to be paid for any illness or injury of more than four days, the nurses association statement said. That benefit is particularly important during the pandemic, with nurses facing the risk of contracting COVID-19, the union said. The health system's latest contract offer would keep the extended illness benefit for current nurses, but eliminate it for new hires, the union said.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has caused severe economic impact on hospitals and health systems throughout the United States, and Amita Health is no different," Nelson said in the statement. "We have supported all our associates in many ways throughout the pandemic, including pay continuance and temporary premium pay for our frontline workers most affected, but like other health systems we have had to make some difficult decisions."
The union said Amita’s offer also calls for a three-year wage freeze and, to address staffing issues, the union said Amita offered to establish a recruitment committee and put in place incentive payments for nurses working extra shifts during critical times.
But Amita said it made an offer yesterday addressing retention of extended illness benefits and wage increases for years two and three of the contract, with no three-year wage freeze.
For many health care workers, the pandemic seems to be strengthening the hand of unions, with nurses and other front-line medical staff unions stepping forward to advocate aggressively on behalf of their members.
The union statement said Amita management had cancelled negotiations early last week. Amita said in its July 2 statement, "There are no bargaining sessions scheduled before July 4, but the Amita Health team is ready and willing to talk through the latest proposal for a contract, as needed."
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