2020 University of Illinois Hospital strikes

Illinois Nurses Association On August 24, 2020, a three-year labor contract between the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) and the University of Illinois Hospital (UIH) in Chicago was set to expire. In the leadup to the expiration, over 20 bargaining sessions were held between the union and hospital regarding a replacement. A deal between the two groups was not reached by August 24, and subsequently the contract was extended to September 7. Additional issues were related to higher pay and the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A September 2020 article in the Chicago Sun-Times reported that approximately 270 UIH workers had contracted COVID-19 by that time, with In These Times reporting that at least four UIH workers had died from the virus. Multiple sources reported that the hospital was resistant to changing policy on nurse-to-patient ratios, arguing that having set ratios does not work. However, the president of the INA refuted this, stating, "We have two decades of research to support that having adequate nurses at the bedside, will prevent falls, will prevent infections, will prevent deaths, in a hospital mind you." with 995 nurses in favor and 12 against. On September 2, citing unfair labor practices, At the time of the announcement, the INA released a statement saying, "Barring a breakthrough in negotiations between nurses and the University of Illinois Hospital, more than 1,300 nurses will begin a seven-day strike at 7 a.m. on Saturday, September 12th". While the judge did not prevent the strike from occurring, on September 11 (the day before the strike was scheduled to commence), a temporary restraining order was granted against some select nurses, preventing them from striking. An article published by the Chicago Sun-Times in late September claimed that the SEIU and hospital had participated in over 50 bargaining sessions over the course of several months at that point. On September 3, citing unfair labor practices, SEIU Local 73 submitted a notice ten days in advance of their intent to strike. According to the union, their demands included instituting a base pay of $15 per hour, increasing the availabilities of masks and N95s, and protections against outsourcing, among other issues. == Course of the strikes ==

The strike began on September 12, with 800 nurses walking out. Starting at 7 a.m., strikers joined a picket line outside the hospital in the Near West Side, with U.S. Representative Jesús "Chuy" García showing support for the strikers by wearing a blue polo shirt and a University of Illinois at Chicago alumni hat. That same day, in a story aired by WLS-TV, union officials accused UIC of preparing to bring in strikebreakers. 1,700 members were from the UIH in Chicago, while a total of approximately 3,800 SEIU members went on strike at UIH facilities in Champaign, Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford. On September 19, after several days of striking, the INA ended their strike action, with nurses returning to work that day. According to INA representatives, union and hospital officials had been meeting every evening for the previous week in an attempt to come to an agreement. SEIU officials called the strike off the following day. That same day, the INA and hospital officials reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract. Provisions of the new contract included hazard pay during the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring an additional 160 nurses to help with staffing, and guarantees to providing more PPE. Additionally, nurses would receive a 1% annual wage increase that would rise to 2% after four years. Union members were expected to begin voting on the contract on September 28. On October 6, SEIU announced that a majority of their members had approved their new contract with UIH. Both new labor contracts are for four-year terms, with the INA deal running from 2020 to 2024 and the Local 73 deal running from the date of their previous contract's expiration in 2019 to 2023. In total, both unions and the hospital expressed satisfaction with the agreements that had been reached, with Local 73 calling the strike a "victory". == See also ==