Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Nurses and Techs in Newark Strike Against Management’s Demands for Givebacks

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Citing management’s unwillingness to negotiate in good faith and its blatant disregard for the safety of nurses, technologists and patients, 350 members of the Jersey Nurses Economic Security Organization (JNESO) went on strike Monday at St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. The union, which is affiliated with the Operating Engineers (IUOE), said management is demanding givebacks from nurses and technologists at the bargaining table that “defy 42 years of contract history with the hospital.”

“They want to eliminate the float block language we bargained for years ago that keeps nurses in areas they are competent and trained to serve,” JNESO President Elfrieda Johnson explained. “JNESO fought hard alongside members of the community to save St. Michael’s from closing in 2014, we have a vested interest in seeing it succeed, but not at the expense of the nurses and techs who care for the patients and community every day.”