Nurses announce strike plans

By WISN Staff

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    MADISON, Wisconsin (WISN) — University of Wisconsin Health nurses held a press conference on Labor Day with officials and community supporters in Madison to demand staffing, quality care and a union.

Nurses emphasized their need for a union to solve the long-term systematic crisis of understaffing, turnover, cuts and burnout aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have been fighting for a union for 3 years… We are here because we want quality patient care, we want respect and recognition of our union. This strike is about taking care of patients but we are not given the tools to do that job. The administration has cut staffing and taken away training. We are exhausted making us prone to mistakes. Patients deserve better.” said Mary Jorgensen a registered nurse.

In June, the Wisconsin Attorney General declared that UW Health can recognize the nurses’ union.

He said, “I conclude that it is within the [UW Hospitals and Clinics] Authority’s statutory power to voluntarily engage in collective bargaining.”

UW nurses said that they have not received a positive response from the UW health administration and instead have received threats to fire nurses for their union activity.

Nurses fear that these scare tactics further undermine patient care by increasing stress on staff, which could lead to more turnover.

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