Madison, Wisconsin (WMTV) – Nurses at UW Health on Friday formally submitted advance notice of the three-day strike, which is expected to begin Tuesday, September 13, according to a statement issued by the group.

This effort is designed to get UW Health to recognize unions that participating nurses want to organize and initiate a collective bargaining process with. It claims to improve the quality of care.

Amanda Klinge, Registered Nurse, said:

The strike will begin at 7:00 am on September 13th and is scheduled to end at 7:00 am on September 16th.

Organizers announced a 10-day warning on August 25, announcing overwhelming votes approving the strike. Her 99% of nurses who took part in the vote supported the plan, the statement reported. The statement did not indicate how many nurses voted to strike.

UW Health called the announcement “unlucky” and had previously accused nurses of taking steps that could harm patients.

“UW Health has been informed that a group of nurses are planning a strike from 7am on September 13th to 7am on September 16th,” said UW Health spokesperson Emily Kumrien. said. “This is disappointing given that the strike will change nothing, given the legal uncertainty surrounding the health system’s ability to collectively bargain. , is focused on the continued safety and quality of care of all patients to ensure minimal impact on patient care.”

UW Health also referred people to previous statements.

Nurses planning to strike will hold a press conference at Madison Laborfest on Labor Day. The group would argue that for years it has been dealing with understaffing, fatigue and burnout, problems only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nursing colleagues and I take a toll on our minds and souls when we see preventable patient care problems occurring every day due to extreme staffing shortages.” We refuse to accept this as the ‘new normal’ and not the way our healthcare system should operate.”

The health system has repeated its claims, which have been challenged by organizers and Attorney General Josh Cowl, but since state law prohibits it, its hands are tied so long as it allows unions. UW Health argued that if the organizers wanted their union recognized, they would have to settle the matter in court.

The nurses were formerly members of the SEIU, organizers said, but their membership was effectively voided in 2014 when UW Health administrators did not consider collective bargaining agreements citing Act 10 restrictions. was confirmed. A ban established by his controversial 2011 law that limits the collective bargaining rights of Wisconsin civil servants.

Organizers claim the hospital cut staff and also cut health insurance and continuing education benefits after previous contracts expired. It claimed to be larger than most other hospitals in the area and have a lower turnover rate than the national average. New hires are also driving vacancy rates below the national average, the company continued.

In addition to its own attorneys, UW Health said the Wisconsin Legislative Council and the Office of Legislative Reference backed its conclusions. I discovered that I could enter into negotiations. The health system, which overruled Kaul’s decision on voluntary negotiations, turned to another section of the attorney general’s statement, where he said unions could go through traditional channels.UW Health’s statement predicted that doing so would lead to a court that would get “a definitive answer.”

The SEIU says a nurses’ strike, if it occurs, would be one of the largest by groups seeking representation in recent history.

Copyright 2022 WMTV. all rights reserved.