Second Negotiating Session Of This Week For Nurses At St. Joe’s Medical Center

A second negotiating session will occur today between the nurses of St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet and Ascension Health Services. Yesterday’s session went well according to WJOL sources. Today is the first day of a pre-authorization strike vote. This will allow the negotiating team at some point per the direction and input of the nurses to call a strike if needed. The vote will be open for three days.

Both sides will be meeting at the Clarion Hotel on Larkin in Joliet. Three major sticking points include unsafe staffing patterns. Seniority capping off salaries for nurses with 20 plus years experience and the Illinois Nurses Association says there are 300 positions are open. INA says at one point the hospital had over 800 nurses now they have 530.