GEO Statement of Solidarity with the INA/St. Joseph Medical Center Nurses’ Strike
The Graduate Employees’ Organization at UIUC (IFT/AFT Local 6300) stands in solidarity with the Illinois Nurses’ Association and the more than 700 nurses at AMITA St. Joseph Medical Center who are striking for better pay and safe working conditions. The former INA contract expired on May 9th and the new contract proposed by the INA seeks to ensure all patients receive the proper number of nurses for optimal care. On July 4th, the INA began an unfair labor practice strike in response to intimidation, threats of termination, and continued dismissal at the bargaining table. We condemn these injustices and urge AMITA to take seriously the concerns of the INA and prioritize the health of both nurses and patients.
AMITA refuses to acknowledge their staffing crisis, thereby routinely violating their own guidelines for safety, and aims to cut charge nurses - further placing patients at risk. In denying the INA safe working conditions, AMITA is not only endangering their staff but the very patients they claim are their no. 1 priority. To showcase how little they care, AMITA is currently spending millions of dollars recruiting temporary nurses from around the country solely to avoid meeting INA at the bargaining table. We recognize this as a tactic meant to break solidarity between nurses and an attempt to discourage the INA. As members of a union, we understand that a fight for one, is a fight for us all. In response, the GEO unites firmly in solidarity with the INA and their strike for a safe and just work environment.
Finally, we take a moment to thank our nurses who have been working diligently at the frontline of the current pandemic response. To the nurses of INA, the GEO hears you, we thank you, and we support you.
Stand in Solidarity with the Illinois Nurse Association: What can you do?
Donate to their strike fund
Join the Picket Line
Share news of the strike
The Graduate Employees’ Organization, AFT/IFT Local 6300, AFL-CIO, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, represents approximately 2,700 Teaching and Graduate Assistants on the UIUC Campus. In November 2009 and in February 2018, over 1,000 GEO members and allies participated in a strike to secure a fair contract and more accessible UIUC campus. With an active presence in the community, the GEO continues to work for high-quality and accessible public education in Illinois.
For more information, please contact geo@uigeo.org. More information can also be found on GEO’s website at www.uiucgeo.org.
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