In another statement, the hospital said, “We continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a mutually beneficial agreement with the nurses of Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin,” it said in a statement. We look forward to a collaborative dialogue at the bargaining table.” We respect the right of our associates to hold an informational assembly outside our facility and we will continue to negotiate in good faith. 26 is a bargaining tactic initiated by National Nurses United in the midst of contract negotiations. continue to experience nursing shortages, we have a robust workforce development program focused on recruiting and retaining nurses through our residency and fellowship program, our nurse scholarship program and partnerships with more than 40 schools of nursing, as well as community partnerships that support our growing healthcare needs. The hospital released the following statement regarding the rally: “As healthcare systems across the U.S. Prior to the official strike vote, the nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center conducted a rally on January 26, 2023, highlighting their complaints and demanding the action of hospital management. > Click to See the Top Online MSN Programs Hospital Statements The date of the strike has not yet been set. The nurses have vowed to issue a notice of intent to strike at least ten days in advance in order to provide Ascension with time to coordinate alternative patient care coverage. These proposals were based on nurse complaints of “inadequate training, delayed response to hospital alarms, and delayed response to crying babies.” Nurse-to-patient ratios are an intrinsic part of the negotiations, as many nurses say they are unable to provide the appropriate standard of care for the number of patients assigned. The union currently represents over 900 registered nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center.Īccording to the NNU, the strike authorization vote on June 1, 2023, was fueled by hospital management’s continued delayed response to the nurses’ contract proposals. In total, NNU says 2,000 nurses will take action on June 27.In September 2022, the nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center voted to unionize with the assistance of the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), becoming the largest private nurses union in the state of Texas. The local nurses will strike on the same day as nurses at two Ascension-operated hospitals in Witchita, Kan. “Management would rather once again spend money to solve a problem they’ve created and punish us for speaking up in the process.” “Nurses planned a one-day strike because, ultimately, patient care is our top priority,” Lindsay Spinney, a nurse in Ascension's neonatal intensive care unit, said in a statement. The union called the move a “ploy” to intimidate them. That means any nurse who goes on strike would not be able to return to work until July 1. The union was required to give Ascension 10 days' notice of a strike so the hospital could arrange for patient care.Īscension said Friday it had contracted with a staffing agency to temporarily replace the strikers, but that it was required to commit to at least four days of work for each employee. “Ascension management has the power to settle a strong contract now, if they are serious about staffing up and improving nurses’ ability to provide safe patient care.” “Ascension management pushed nurses to this position by failing to listen to or implement our solutions to address the staffing crisis,” Monica Gonzalez, a registered nurse in the neurology unit at Ascension Seton Medical Center, said in the statement. They say current workloads are causing burnout. In particular, nurses are focused on securing lower guaranteed nurse-to-patient ratios. Since voting to form the union in September, nurses at Ascension Seton have cited hiring and retention provisions as key issues at the bargaining table. The union has now delivered a legally required 10-day notice to hospital management.Īccording to the union, this would be the first strike by nurses in an acute care setting in state history and the largest strike by nurses in Texas. The hospital's 900-person nursing staff voted overwhelmingly June 1 to authorize a strike, citing a stalemate in negotiations between the union and Ascension Seton. Nurses at Austin’s Ascension Seton Medical Center will hold a one-day strike on Tuesday, June 27, according to a statement from the nurses' union, National Nurses United (NNU).
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