September 8, 2020 at 12:55 PM EDT
Chicago nurses threaten strike
Nurses held a vigil outside of University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center for their fallen colleagues Monday night and threatened to walk off the job if their workplace conditions don’t improve.
Those who spoke at Monday night’s candlelight remembrance said colleagues and spouses have died after becoming sick on their job battling the novel coronavirus, WGN reported.
UIC nurse Daniel Ortiz said his colleagues are working with no masks despite the fact that they are considered one of the best safeguards against the virus that still has no vaccine or cure, the station reported.
The nurse-led vigil comes shortly after the expiration of their contract that the Illinois Nurses Association, a union representing them, and SEIU is negotiating, according to WGN.
The nurses union, which has about 1,300 member nurses at University of Illinois hospitals, told CBS Chicago that it has met with hospital leaders about 20 times since early summer.
That still hasn’t stopped nurses from being flooded with patients beyond their capacity, finding themselves in short supply of personal protective equipment or being paid less than they feel they should be, according to WGN.
The growing frustration is culminating in a week-long strike that’s set to start on Saturday.
UI told CBS Chicago in a statement that it plans to reach a fair deal to stop the impending strike.
Nurse Debreshia Anderson said hospital leaders need to recognize what kind of nurses they have, the station reported.
“You have nurses truly willing to risk their life for the greater good,” she said.
By Lateshia Beachum
