Nurses at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston walked a picket line Wednesday, Oct. 28, demanding the hospital drop proposed cuts to sick leave and agree to enforceable staffing ratios.
The rally, organized by New Jersey Nurses Union-Communications Workers of America Local 1091, began at 8 a.m. outside the hospital, according to a union press release published by Insider NJ. Nurses and supporters carried signs reading "Safe Staffing Saves Lives" and "Fair Contract Now," Patch reported.
The two sides are negotiating a new three-year contract for the hospital's 1,600 nurses. The hospital has offered a 3.5% first-year wage increase; the union is seeking 24% over three years.
What the fight is about
Hospital management proposed reducing nurses' sick time to the state-mandated minimum of 40 hours per year. Union spokespeople said that covers just three shifts a year for many working nurses. The proposal would also cut paid holiday, personal and vacation time, according to the union press release.
Shannon Gomes, president of NJNU-CWA Local 1091 and a registered nurse, said staffing is the other major sticking point. She said nurses often struggle with too many patients under their care.
Hospital spokespeople said the union's full package of proposals would increase health care costs by more than $43 million, according to Patch.
Hospital calls rally 'routine'
Cooperman Barnabas spokespeople called the rally a "routine part of the collective bargaining process during nursing contract negotiations," according to Patch. Administrators said the hospital has been negotiating in good faith for two months and that nurses there already receive more time off than their peers at other RWJBarnabas Health hospitals.
The union sees it differently. Billy Gallagher, assistant to the vice president of CWA District 1, said in a statement that nurses "stood outside their own hospital to say something that should not need saying: you cannot ask the people who care for the sick to give up the time they need to get well."
Jason Ajiake, political director at 1199SEIU, spoke at the rally and shared a personal connection to the hospital. He said his father-in-law died at Cooperman Barnabas less than three years ago after contracting the flu at age 61.
"No family should have to wonder whether their loved one would still be here if there had been more nurses, more support staff, or more available capacity," Ajiake said.
Elected officials join the line
U.S. Rep. Analilia Mejia, Assemblywoman Rosy Bagolie, Assemblywoman Alixon Collazos-Gill and Essex County officials also spoke at the rally, according to the union press release. New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech urged the hospital to address staffing levels in the contract.
The contract dispute extends beyond Livingston. NJNU-CWA Local 1091 also represents nurses at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood and Barnabas Health Behavioral Health Center in Toms River. Nurses at those facilities voted to reject a management contract proposal on Oct. 9, according to Patch.
The union said it plans to hold another rally in Lakewood on Nov. 4.
