MADISON (WKOW) -- Nurses at UnityPoint Health -- Meriter are negotiating with the hospital for a new contract. While both sides have acknowledged points of agreement, the nurses union is preparing to strike if they don't reach a full agreement by March 24.
"The things that we really need in order to feel whole and repaired from the last year and dealing with the pandemic and making all the sacrifices that we did make in order to fight through our fear and go to work every single day, that's where we've remained worlds apart at this point," Louise Nordstrom, a NICU nurse at the hospital, said Sunday.
The union announced its strike plans Saturday, complying with a federal regulation requiring 10 days' notice for refusal to work at a health care institution.
Nordstrom said the nurses' main request is more earned time off.
"We need that time to rest and recharge and rejuvenate ourselves after what we've been through in the last year," she said.
In a written statement, UnityPoint Health -- Meriter said its current contract with nurses includes "already competitive benefits, like ample paid time off."
However, Nordstrom said that hasn't been enough over the past year because of the extra strain from the pandemic.
"It has taken what is already a very grueling and difficult job at baseline...to an entirely different level," she said. "We have been asked over and over to show up, despite a lot of unknowns and fear and anxiety about not only what's happening at work but what we're bringing home to our family... We're just kind of inching on by, and we need some time to recharge our batteries and to continue to take care of ourselves."
Nordstrom said she hopes the union and the hospital are able to reach an agreement before March 24.
"Nobody wants to strike here," she said. "Nobody wants to have to take that step. It's a scary thing for everyone. It's very overwhelming."
However, if the two sides don't reach an agreement, she said nurses are fully prepared to follow through on striking.
"We have to do what we have to do in order to win our fair contract, and that's what we'll do," she said.
UnityPoint Health -- Meriter said it is making plans to ensure a continuation of patient care if the strike happens.
"Safe patient care is of the utmost importance to us, and we already have plans in place to bring in qualified and experienced nursing staff in the interim," the hospital said in a statement.
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March 15, 2021 at 10:39AM
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Meriter nurses hoping for contract resolution but prepared to strike - WKOW
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