Joliet nurses begin 4-day strike for increased staffing, higher pay

Five hundred and thirty nurses at Ascension St. Joseph hospital in Joliet went on strike Tuesday morning as contract negotiations between union nurses and Ascension remain stalled.

The strikers, who are represented by the Illinois Nurses Association, are seeking increased staffing and higher wages.

The union has been negotiating for a new contract since May. Ascension canceled a bargaining session on Aug. 15, the day after the strike was announced. Ascension representatives have said they will not come back to the bargaining table until Sept. 8.

The picket line opened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. Nurses, union representatives and supporters will continue to picket daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. through Friday.

Strikers held signs encouraging passing cars to “honk if you love nurses.” Some roared past the hospital’s Madison Street entrance on motorcycles.

Ascension St. Joseph is the only major hospital in Joliet. When residents of the area are in critical condition, nurses are often on…