The second day of the Meriter nurse strike on Wednesday brought out support from elected officials in Wisconsin and an update on bargaining with UnityPoint Health.
Nurses represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Wisconsin at UnityPoint Meriter are currently on strike over unfair labor practices. The strike, which kicked off on May 27, will go through May 31. The strike has been pending since April with notice of intent to strike if demands on their contract are not met.
Nurses seek an increase in wages, which will in turn help alleviate other issues they hope to have addressed. The stagnant wages have led to poor retention of nurses, which has caused poorer outcomes for care and increased concern in their safety. Nurses claim they are continuously being stretched thinner and thinner to do their job with less resources and staff.
“We have had no choice but to be here on the strike line today. We are striking for our community. We are striking for our fellow nurses. We are striking for every patient that walks or rolls in our doors,” said Pat Raes, president of SEIU Wisconsin. “We have to be allowed the time to connect with our patients to provide high-quality care, and that is what we’re fighting for.”
Over 20 bargaining sessions took place prior to the strike’s start. A small pay bump was lobbied in negotiation sessions, which was a far shot from what Meriter nurses demanded. A veiled threat was also issued by UnityPoint over the status of employees’ healthcare.
Efforts by Meriter nurses have garnered more support. Elected officials have shown support previously in April at the “Strike Ready Rally,” but now Milwaukee’s Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley have voiced their solidarity for the nurses.
(Photo by Omar Waheed)
“I’m reminded of something my father used to tell me all the time. He used to say, ‘You can’t take care of anybody unless you take care of yourself first.’ And that’s why we’re here today,” Crowley said. “Not only do you deserve to get paid more wages to make sure you can take care of yourself, but this is also about how we are going to protect every patient that walks into every hospital.”
Crowley showed concern for the increasing burnout of nurses and the potential negative health outcomes that could follow. A message from other speakers pointed at the ramifications if nurses do not see improvements at the hospital.
Colin Gillis, a UW Health nurse, notes how his trauma unit is already stretched thin. If hospitals see UnityPoint Meriter not up staff ratios for patient care and still take in the same amount of people, they may follow suit, Gillis said.
Mayor Johnson echoed Gillis’ remarks by questioning what values are being held if nurses are not supported by hospitals.
“Just this morning, I had a conversation with staff in my office about values. What sort of values do we want our children to have? What sort of values do we want to have in our city? What sort of values do we want to have in our society?” Johnson asked. “Sure enough, folks want to make sure you get paid a decent wage. Am I right? Yeah, we want a decent wage. But it’s not just about that. It’s about safety, too.”
Congressman Mark Pocan also showed his solidarity with the nurses of UnityPoint Meriter. He recalled his first and only visit to the hospital seven and a half years ago where he found out he had three clogged arteries.
“I received excellent health care. Not because of the comfort of the bed or the color of the walls. Not because of the profitability of the hospital, but because of the staff and nurses at Meriter,” Pocan said.
When Pocan heard there were issues in negotiating, he came out to see if he could push them to meet with nurses. In a follow-up with Madison365, Pocan was asked about previous efforts from Meriter in 2021 and 2023 to bargain with a potential strike that was ultimately quashed under Act 10 — which limits bargaining ability of public employees in Wisconsin.
“With the Wisconsin Supreme Court, I know there’s a case right now. We’ll hopefully be able to look back and change what happened,” Pocan said. “But right now, the most important thing is that you need management to come to the table. You need management to bargain in good faith.”
A bargaining session is planned for today. More updates on the strike will be made available after the meeting.
