I spent an hour or so this morning talking to striking nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The strike, which has been going on two months, is about staffing levels and — as one long-time nurse told me — making things better for those who enter the profession in coming years.
Local 4-200 President Judy Danella said in a press release that the 1,700 nurses are striking for their patients.
“Our members remain deeply committed to our patients,” she said. “However, we must address urgent concerns, like staffing. We need enough nurses on each shift, on each floor, so we can devote more time to each patient and keep ourselves safe on the job.”
Nurses say staffing levels are too low, that they are forced to oversee too many patients, which in turn makes it harder to provide the care each patient needs. Management has refused to budge — perhaps knowing that this strike is not an isolated rebellion.
More to come.