According to this recent article from Modern Healthcare, on Tuesday, more than 400 nurses at a Connecticut hospital began a two-day strike over what union leaders called low wages and struggles to get enough personal protective equipment. The strike comes during a breakdown in contract negotiations between the nurses’ union and hospital management, as well as rising coronavirus cases in Norwich and other eastern Connecticut communities.
Donna Handley, president of Backus and Windham hospitals, said in a statement that Backus will remain open and called the strike “heartbreaking.” She said nurses have been offered “significant” wage increases — 12.5% over three years — along with additional paid time off and a 2% decrease in health care premiums. “The hospital has made every effort to avoid a strike,” said Handley, who is a nurse herself. “We are prepared to find common ground, and we want to reach agreement on a fair contract. The union, unfortunately, is prepared to strike, causing an unprecedented degree of disruption during an unprecedented health crisis.”
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