Finley Nurses Vote On Contract (IA)

May 16, 2005 - Dubuque

More than 300 nurses are deciding whether they have a new contract or if they should get ready to strike. The union bargaining team recommends nurses reject the hospitals offer, and that moves the nurses closer to striking. Nurses are voting today to either accept what Finley calls its "final" offer or authorize their bargaining team to give the hospital a ten day strike notice. Finley nurses say they want a better deal. Laura Murphy, a Registered Nurse at Finley says, "I voted no. I don't feel I can, in good conscience, vote for this contract, It isn't fair."

Finley is offering an annual three-percent pay raise. Union representative for S.E.I.U. Local 199, Ann Gentil-Archer says, "It is just not enough. It does not address the issues that we've been trying to raise. It does not address recruitment." Gentil-Archer says more than a third of Iowa's nursing graduates leave the state for better pay elsewhere. Murphy adds, "They can make double what they do here." Yet both sides say they are close to reaching a deal. Finley President and C.E.O. John Knox says, "I thought we were getting there but there's an anxiousness on part of the union. I guess understandably we are anxious about it as well but we are more of the opinion it's better to just keep negotiating and get the thing done than have a work stoppage." Murphy agrees, "Thats what we want, we would like to have more time to work on the contract."

Even if the nurses reject the contract today, they would have to vote again before a strike. That second vote could come in two weeks, if both sides can't reach a deal by then. In case there is is a strike, Finley says they have contacted a service that provides replacement nurses. This is the first time Finley's nurses are voting since forming a union in December of 2003. <snip>

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