Hundreds of UnityPoint Health-Meriter nurses are currently on strike after over 20 negotiation sessions led to no agreement on demands.
The strike follows a promise in April that nurses represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin would strike if demands were not met. Demands largely look to address low wages and their trickling effects that cause staffing shortages, safety issues, nurse retention, and that impacts quality care — but this isn’t the first time SEIU nurses at UnityPoint Meriter have made the same demands. In 2021 and 2023, nurses pressed the same concerns that have continued to be unmet.
Staff and supporters circled UnityPoint Meriter, 202 S. Park St., clad in purple and gold shirts, picketing around the building. The strike — the first ever by nurses at Meriter — kicked off today at 6:30 a.m. after months of negotiations yielded no results.
Brenda Bennettprice, a nurse for around 30 years at UnityPoint Meriter, says it’s about reaching “the corporate bigwigs” at UnityPoint Health.
“This is the first time in the 30 years that I’ve worked here that we’ve gotten to this point, and we don’t take it lightly,” Bennettprice said. “It’s hard to leave our patients. It’s also hard to make Meriter seem like the bad guy because Meriter isn’t, I think. It’s UPH more than anything else.”
In her 30 years as a nurse at Meriter, Bennettprice has seen the changes that have led to the current strike. More and more, nurses are being asked to do more with less staff, support and supplies. Compared to when Bennettprice first started, she’s now being asked to “work extra and work thin.”
Bennettprice alleges multiple strike-busting tactics from UnityPoint. She notes that salaries are being inflated and threatening language over their insurance has been attempted. A website named “SEIU Exposed” has continuously posted articles of all SEIU branches across the country with “first-of-its-kind reports” stating rampant abuse of funds and worse health outcomes if nurses are represented by the union.
Striking nurses said it’s now time for UnityPoint to see their worth. Multiple negotiations have taken place prior to the strike, with management reportedly offering a raise that doesn’t cover the cost of living.
“We’re fighting for better pay so our nurses can afford to live in the town that we work in,” said Lindsey Miller, a bargaining team member. “Realizing our worth and realizing that our patients are worth fighting for, and our coworkers are worth fighting for, we’re ready to do this.”
Negotiations haven’t appeared to make any progress since the announcement of the strike, as the hospital is still operating.
The strike will continue daily May 27-31, from 6:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. in front of UnityPoint Meriter. An update on efforts and the state of the strike will be given May 28 around 11 a.m.
