CHICAGO (CBS) – The nurses' strike at the University of Illinois Hospital Illinois has entered the third day.
Hundreds of nurses picket outside the University of Illinois Hospital after going on strike Saturday morning demanding better patient care as part of an ongoing contract dispute.
The nurses said they put an offer on the table early Saturday morning, before leaving work at 7 a.m., as hospital management expressed disappointment in the process.
Roughly 800 of the more than 1,300 UI Health nurses represented by the INA are on strike, but a court ruled Friday that intensive care nurses, about 118 per shift, must stay on the job, because allowing them to join the strike would present a danger to the public. These include workers in places like intensive care.
The chief executive of the hospital said they had a 14-hour negotiation session with the nurses on Friday, but the nurses were out of work by Saturday.
Despite the strike, the hospital does not close. Administrators said they have added hundreds of qualified temporary nurses to replace the pickets.
The hospital administration also emphasized that they are taking all necessary steps to ensure continued care and safety.
Both parties recognized the importance of care and safety during the pandemic, but it is not known when there will be a response to the last offer on the table.
As of Monday morning, no negotiations have been scheduled.
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