Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital vote to authorize second strike

Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics have voted to authorize what could be their second strike since August — as they continue to ask for better pay, staffing and security.

Of about 1,700 nurses who voted, 88% percent voted in favor of giving their bargaining team the authority to call a strike, according to the union, the Illinois Nurses Association.

A strike date has not yet been set, nor has it been decided how long a strike might last. The union and UI Health are continuing to negotiate, meaning it’s still possible a strike could 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. According to the union, the health system has proposed annual raises of less than 3%.

UI Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Monday afternoon.

The nurses already went on strike for a week in August. Their last strike coincided with the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. University of Illinois Hospital is one of the closest hospitals to the United Center, where many of the convention events were held.

Before that strike, the University of Illinois board of trustees sought a temporary restraining order to stop some of the nurses from walking off the job. 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 nurses also went on strike for a week in 2020.