Hundreds of AGH nurses vote to authorize potential strike
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Hundreds of nurses at Allegheny General Hospital have voted to authorize a potential strike on Tuesday.
According to the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, the vote comes as nurses have been asking for compensation improvement, for the hospital to address staff shortages, and for other improvements involving patient and nurse safety.
"Our patients deserve the best care when they enter our hospital," said Annale Yobbi, a LifeFlight nurse at Allegheny General Hospital and union officer. "The fact that most hospitals have staffing shortages doesn't mean that nurses have to accept it. We hope to reach an agreement without a strike, but we're standing up to say 'no more' and we will do what it takes to protect ourselves and our patients."
Nurses and nurse practitioners voted "overwhelmingly" to approve the strike.
The current contract has been extended as negotiations continue this week, but the SEIU says that a strike notice could be issued "any day."
In June, hundreds of nurses rallied on the North Shore as negotiations were about to begin.
"In the wake of the COVID pandemic, insufficient staffing and nearly unmanageable nurse-to-patient ratios have forced nurses away from the bedside or from the profession altogether in numbers unlike anything we have seen before," one nurse said on the day of the rally.
Negotiations will continue this week, and SEIU says that the nurses are hopeful they can work with AGH to reach a deal.
Stay With KDKA.com For More Details