Nurses employed at the University Medical Center in New Orleans began striking on Feb. 5. Originally, the National Nurses Organizing Committee – the union representing 600 nurses in the UMC system and affiliated with National Nurses United – only planned on a two-day strike. But now it’s set to last through Super Bowl Sunday on Feb. 9 because of contract requirements of the replacement-worker staffing agency.
They went on strike back in October as well. So, this is the second time the union called a strike and yet they still don’t have their first contract because the bosses at LCMC Health System have been stalling. The nurses voted to unionize in December 2023 and have been in these contract negotiations since March 2024. Enough is enough!
In a press release, RN Shonda Franklin said:
“We don’t take this decision lightly. But so many of us are tired of seeing our fellow nurses leave UMC because management can’t ensure basic things like uninterrupted lunch breaks on our 12-hour shifts. It’s time for a change, and a strong contract is how we get that done.”
These nurses and other medical workers are always there when our community needs them. They were there to take care of the victims of the New Year’s Eve French Quarter terrorist attack, just as they were all throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In both cases, they were dealing with dangerous understaffing, long hours, and many other problems caused by the for-profit healthcare system.
History proves that the needed workplace change won’t come without a union and a struggle. These nurses are showing how to do it.
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