Hire 300 More St. Joe's Nurses: Union Holds Car Rally By Hospital

JOLIET, IL — On Tuesday afternoon, the nurses from St. Joseph Medical Center and their supporters held a car rally around the hospital, calling for the hiring of 350 permanent nurses.

Joliet Patch produced a live video showing the car rally taking place. You can see the short video at the very bottom of this news article.

According to the nurses union, "If this action doesn’t result in movement at the bargaining table in their contract negotiations with Ascension, they have already officially filed the required “10 Day Notice” to picket the hospital next week.

"This urgency stems from a staffing crisis within the hospital that nurses say is making their work near impossible."

Unionized nurses at Joliet's hospital said they are conducting rallies and pickets as they approach the expiration of their three-year union contract with Ascension Health System.

“We used to have over 800 nurses at this hospital, and now we are closer to 530,” remarked Mary Sue Bulger, a veteran nursem in Tuesday's press release. “Ascension has refused to do what it takes to fully staff a functional hospital and left many of us doing the work of two nurses."

The nurses of St. Joe’s say they have been in negotiations with Ascension since May and union leaders say key proposals have been left on the table with no response from Ascension.

Tuesday's car rally began at 2:30 pm. from Uno Circle and continued circling the hospital.

There is one more negotiation session before the July 19 expiration of the contract, according t the Illinois Nurses Assocation, adding that "the nurses hope for resolution but are preparing to apply additional pressure in the form of pickets and other actions."