By Kevin Lavery, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo – Registered nurses at St. John's Mercy Medical Center have notified the hospital that they will go on strike on December 15 unless a suitable contract can be reached before then.
The nurses claim St. John's latest offer would take away their voice in patient care issues, provide a minimal payraise that would not cover all nurses and eliminate a union security clause.
If a strike occurs, many nurses say replacement workers would not give the same quality care they provide.
"This was our very last resort," said Neonatal nurse Kathy Schleef. "We've been negotiating for months, and now over the last week or so, it's gone backwards. This is not what we wanted to do."
A St. John's spokeswoman says the hospital remains willing to meet with the nurses at any time, but says they are prepared to operate at full capacity in the event of a strike.
The union represents some 1,500 registered nurses.