Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital on Monday voted to authorize a strike following the rejection of the New Brunswick hospital’s recent proposal for a new contract. The rejection comes after almost three months of failed negotiations. At the top of the list of issues for the nurses is staffing.
“The hospital has added positions over the past year, but the staffing levels are not where they should be on a daily basis,” said Judy Danella, the president of United Steel Workers Local 4-200 and a registered nurse at the hospital. “We want to make sure that there are enough nurses with enough knowledge to take care of that,” Danella said in an interview with NJ Spotlight News.
The nurses are also seeking higher pay, retirement benefits and caps on insurance costs. In a statement, the hospital said it’s extremely disappointed with the vote and has the utmost respect for the nursing staff, who are now working with an expired contract. The hospital has been given a 10-day notice period starting Tuesday, allowing the sides to continue negotiating.
— Editor’s note: RWJBarnabas Health is an underwriter of NJ Spotlight News.
