Members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois are taking various labor actions amid their contract negotiations with Chicago safety-net hospitals. 

The union represents 200 workers at Loretto Hospital, about 250 at St. Bernard Hospital and more than 200 at Roseland Community Hospital. 

Union members are seeking to address issues such as pay and staffing ahead of a planned strike at Loretto. The strike is set to begin July 31 and last until the union reaches an agreement with Loretto. 

“The main issue at hand right now is that we gave a 10-day [strike] notice at Loretto,” Tekenya Turner, SEIU Healthcare Illinois field director, told Becker’s. 

Ms. Turner said the key sticking point in negotiations with Loretto is that workers at the hospital are reporting they can no longer safely serve the community. Union members specifically contend there is not enough staff in the building and cite concerns about turnover due to voluntary resignation, retirement or job abandonment.

“There’s very high turnover at Loretto, and those numbers are similar at other [Chicago safety-net] facilities,” said Ms. Turner. 

“So our members … are constantly training new employees. New employees, who are great, want to serve the community. But when they see the pay, they see the working conditions, they choose to go elsewhere and that is causing our members not to be able to do their job” at the optimal level.

Loretto shared a statement with Becker’s saying that the hospital is still negotiating with the SEIU to reach a new contract. The expiration of the current agreement has been pushed back to midnight on July 31. 

“We appreciate our employees in the SEIU and respect their right to bargain. We have not been able to reach a new agreement yet, but we will continue to work toward that goal. We are hopeful we will get a new agreement soon,” the hospital said in a separate statement shared with Becker’s earlier this month.

A strike could still be averted at Loretto if an agreement is reached before the strike deadline. Striking employees would include patient transporters, patient care technicians, emergency room technicians, mental health and behavioral health workers, respiratory and radiology technicians, housekeeping workers, and others.

Meanwhile, workers at Loretto, St. Bernard and Roseland hospitals are planning pre-strike events, according to a union news release. On July 26, front-line hospital workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois held a virtual press call to highlight their bargaining issues. 

The union said workers will continue preparing for next week, including a rally with community leaders and supporters on July 27. 

Union members at all three Chicago safety-net hospitals have been in negotiations since May. 

Ms. Turner said progress has been made at St. Bernard and Roseland negotiations, including staffing and the addition of Juneteenth as a holiday. Negotiations were ongoing as of July 26.

St. Bernard shared the following statement with Becker’s on July 25: “St. Bernard Hospital continues to bargain in good faith with SEIU Healthcare, which represents about 250 employees at the hospital. We’re optimistic that we can reach a new agreement, and all of our efforts are focused on that outcome.”

A spokesperson for Roseland shared the following statement with Becker’s on July 26: “Discussions at the bargaining table between Roseland Hospital management and SEIU continue. The hospital’s goal is to reach the next collective bargaining agreement with the union on behalf of the 224 employees SEIU represents at Roseland Hospital. Unlike SEIU, Roseland will not negotiate through the media.”