Union strikes from California to New York: Why nurses are demanding better pay and safer work conditions

Published Updated 8 Min Read

Nurses place their hands on top of each other, in a show of teamwork.
Guitafotostudio from AdobeStock

Writers and actors aren’t the only workers who went on strike this summer. Nationwide, nurses’ unions are asking employers to provide safer working conditions for themselves and their patients — and they are not backing down.

In July, around 900 nurses at Rochester General Hospital in New York voted to strike after nine months of negotiations with management. The Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals moved to strike for 48 hours in August before returning to the negotiation table with their employers, demanding better wages, safe patient-to-staff ratios and affordable healthcare premiums. The hospital and union still haven’t reached an agreement.

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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