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According to announcements released by both the nurses’ union and Ascension, around 2,000 registered nurses strike on Tuesday morning and will remain locked out of their facilities for an extra three days.
The nurses work at the Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas, as well as the Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph and St. Francis hospitals in Wichita, Kansas.
The National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) has released a statement saying that the protests are related to ongoing contract talks and accusations that Ascension is understaffing its facilities. The union stated that barring a last-minute agreement, the strike would be the biggest in the history of nursing in both Texas and Kansas.
Ascension’s Response to the Nurses Strike
Ascension assured the media that, despite the unfortunate strike, its hospitals will stay open and fully prepared to continue providing patient-focused, holistic care. The company outlined its plans to weather the storm:
- It will hire a staffing firm with experience in work stoppage situations to provide qualified registered nurses to cover shifts.
- Any nurses who vacate their posts on Tuesday will not be able to return until July 1 due to the mandatory commitment of four working days required by the contracts.
- It will keep negotiating in good faith toward a mutually beneficial agreement on a first contract that upholds the dignity and rights of all parties involved.
The NNOC/NNU said the lockout, which will last for three days, is an attempt to silence nurses who were striking for better working conditions.
Registered nurse Kris Fuentes termed the staffing choice “despicable” and said it was a signal that Ascension would rather utilize its massive resources to postpone progress than devote them to the care their patients and communities need with adequate staffing.
At least 90% of the nurses at each facility’s representational body voted in favor of authorizing the strike. While discussions are still ongoing, the union has made clear that personnel levels, pay, and retention are all negotiating points.
Ascension is one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the country, with over 2,600 care locations, including more than 140 hospitals. In fiscal year 2021, it showed a net gain of $5.7 billion, but in the following year, it registered a loss of $1.8 billion, following the trend of many other large-scale financial systems. A significant contributor to the decline was a yearly increase in operational expenditures of over $2.1 billion, of which $1.2 billion was due to compensation and benefits.
Over the past year, several media outlets have questioned the Catholic system’s approach to budgeting and hiring. A prominent senator has also questioned Ascension, demanding to know whether or not the organization’s for-profit investing operations are diverting resources from its primary patient care mission.