About 1,700 University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics nurses plan to go on an open-ended strike Nov. 13, the nurses’ union announced Friday afternoon.
The strike would be the second time the nurses have walked off the job since August. The union, the Illinois Nurses Association, and UI Health have additional negotiating sessions planned before Nov. 13, meaning a strike may still be averted.
The nurses’ four-year contract expired Aug. 19. The nurses have been asking for better security protocols to prevent attacks on nurses at the hospital, and more pay, among other things. The health system has proposed annual raises of less than 3%, according to the union.
UI Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday afternoon, but said in a statement earlier this week, after the nurses voted to authorize the strike, that: “We value the critical role our nurses and other health care professionals play in fulfilling our mission to provide vital care for our community. The majority of UI Health nurses currently are paid better than 90% of nurses in the Chicagoland area. Under our current proposal, UI Health nurses will continue to receive top pay compared to Chicagoland peers.”
The nurses last went on strike for a week in August — a walkout that occurred during the Democratic National Convention, much of which was held at the United Center, which sits near University of Illinois Hospital.
Before that strike, a Cook County Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting 91 nurses per shift — including those who worked in intensive care units and the emergency department — from going on strike in order to “avoid or remove any clear and present danger to the health or safety of the public.” The judge’s order came after a request by the University of Illinois board of trustees.
The nurses also went on strike for a week in 2020.
