St. Joseph Nurses May Strike If Contract Negotiations Are Not Settled
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Nurses could be going on strike in less than two weeks at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.
Nurses at the hospital have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a three-day strike if contract talks break down. WBBM's Bernie Tafoya reports.
There were 618 nurses who voted. More than 85 percent of them, 529 nurses, voted to authorize a strike. Eighty-nine voted against.
Their contract expires this weekend. Negotiations are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
The Illinois Nurses Association said nurses want increases in pay, especially to make up for cases in which newly hired nurses are paid more than nurses of the same experience level who are already on-staff.
In a statement, the president of St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet said he is disheartened by the nurses' decision.