Nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph will go on strike for a single day on June 27.
The strike comes as some nurses say Ascension management has dismissed their contract proposals, which include requests for safe staffing protection and nurse recruitment and retention. National Nurses United says this will be the first registered nurses strike in Kansas history.
“Ascension nurses are fighting for our patients and the sustainability of our profession,” Marvin Ruckle, a registered nurse at St. Joseph, said in a statement. “Our commitment to winning strong contracts is unbreakable, like our bond to our patients.”
National Nurses United represents more than 650 nurses at St. Francis and 300 at St. Joseph.
Contract negotiations began in February at St. Francis and in May at St. Joseph.
In a statement, Ascension Via Christi says it is "disappointed" in the union's decision to strike.
"Patient safety is our top priority, and Ascension Via Christi is well-prepared to remain open and care for our patients during this work stoppage event," the statement reads. "We have a comprehensive contingency plan in place to ensure there is no disruption in care or service for those we are privileged to serve."
Nurses in Wichita will be joined in the strike by their counterparts at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas.
Earlier this year, more than 90 percent of nurses at St. Joseph and St. Francis voted in favor of authorizing a potential strike.
It’s standard for nurses to provide a 10-day notice before striking.
St. Francis is the largest hospital in Wichita. Nurses there voted to unionize in November, making it the first hospital in the city’s private sector with unionized registered nurses.
Nurses at St. Joseph followed suit four months later.
