Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital have been on the picket line since August 4th after their contract’s expiration in July. At the crux of their strike are issues surrounding nurse to patient staffing ratios, with both nurses and patients sharing stories of being overworked and underserved. Recently, CWA joined nurses in solidarity on the picket line because every worker deserves a fair contract.
In their latest attempt to break the strike, RWJ chose to stop covering health insurance for striking nurses, a clear display of bad faith on behalf of the hospital. While nurses are striking to better public health conditions and ensure that patients receive quality care, RWJ is choosing to undermine public health by making it harder for their nurses to access the medical care they rely on. RWJ has also refused to come to the table with a counter proposal for the last five weeks, leaving negotiations at a complete standstill. Not too long ago, RWJ touted its nurses as heroes of the pandemic, now they won’t even give them the dignity of a fair bargaining session.
If we can’t trust RWJ to take care of its own nurses, how can we trust it to take care of our communities?
Hear from striking nurses directly and follow RWJ Nurses United for more updates.