The union representing University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) nurses has voted in favor of their bargaining team providing a 10-day notice of intention to strike or informally picket if deemed necessary with 99.3% of votes in support.
The votes were tallied Thursday night after two days of voting as the union pushes for better nurse recruitment and retention and improved nurse-to-patient ratios.
The contract between the Registered Nurses Association and UCMC is set to expire June 30. The nurses' union says it's still negotiating but plans to file an unfair labor practices charge and could strike if it does not get demands met.
“We are committed to always doing what is right for our patients and our team members. These results are decided only by those who actually voted, and we don’t believe that this result reflects the majority view of our 1,500+ nurses," Amanda Nageleisen, director of corporate media relations for UC Health, said in a statement provided to The Enquirer. "We remain committed to negotiating a fair contract that supports all of our nurses.”
The union declined to specify how many members voted.
The Registered Nurses Association, the union representing UC Medical Center nurses, is a local affiliate of the Ohio Nurses Association. The local affiliate has been negotiating with UCMC since late April, the state's association officials say.
