Drew Hawkins at WWNO - New Orleans Public Radio reports Unionized Nurses employed at the University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans are on Strike. National Nurses United (NNU), which represents UMC Nurses, has been negotiating new Staff contracts with hospital administrators since March 2024. This is the fifth Strike in just over a year. Nurses are calling for contracts that prioritize retaining Nursing Staff through better pay and benefits. They say adequate staffing and more experienced Nurses can help improve care and make hospitals safer for both patients and Staff. “They’re all related,” said Kisha Montes, a Nurse in UMC’s Behavioral Health Unit. “If you don’t have the staffing, people leave, because they’re being overworked and that becomes a problem. A lot of the Nurses are just tired.” Coinciding with the Strike, NNU released a report that found LCMC Health - the Health Care Non-Profit that operates UMC, has the highest average charge-to-cost ratio of New Orleans Hospitals, has made more than $800 million in profit since 2013 and has paid its executives more than double its total charity care costs. The report recommends the hospital’s executives listen to Nurses’ concerns, safely staff every Unit and commit to establishing standards for charity care.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Protestors brave cold snap to support striking nurses at New Orleans' UMC | WWNO

Photo Courtesy Of The NNU’s Facebook Page.