The 2 day Backus Nurse’s strike that started on Tuesday morning at 7 AM has ended this morning, Thursday October 15, at 7 AM. Backus Hospital allowed the nurses to return and there isn’t currently a lockout The strike went as advertised to only last for 48 hours.
Since the strike began, there have been no new contract negotiations. The last meeting was over the weekend and lasted approximately 10 hours with some movement on PPE. The wage, benefit, and personal time issue remains in question at the top of the negotiation list.
According to union rep Donna Perry, there may be contract talks starting on Friday, but it’s not a definite as of now. Perry also mentioned that depending on negotiations, there could possibly be a longer strike in the future, but that as well isn’t a definite plan at this time.