STRIKE: RWJU Nurses Strike Hold A Candlelight Vigil

Tuesday night in New Brunswick, striking nurses from the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJU)  in New Jersey held a candlelight vigil.

On the fifth night of the strike, the 1,700 nurses from USW Local 4-200 rocked the picket line by lighting candles.

I adore my job as a nurse. Carol Tanzi, a nurse, said, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Tanzi, a nurse for 25 years, claims that a high patient to nurse ratio makes it impossible to provide medical care for the ill.

According to Tanzi, the hospital has failed to acknowledge the significance of having safe nurse-to-patient ratios.

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Since June 30th, these nurses have been without a contract. The hospital has a proposal on the table that, in their opinion, meets the staffing and pay requirements.

Robert Wood Johnson claims that nurses are already paid the highest in the state.

The union’s president, Judy Danella, contends that the hospital employs executives who are paid the highest salaries.

Nurse Danella has worked at the hospital for 28 years. Before retiring, she wants to finish the fight for future generations of nurses, including Marisa Ramos.

I’ve already dealt with a pandemic and a strike in my three and a half years as a nurse, Ramos claimed. It really shocks me. However, we are present for our patients.

Patients are being reassured by the hospital that the quality of their medical care is unaffected by the labor dispute.

Robert Wood Johnson Hospital released a statement saying, “We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing consistently safe, highest-quality care.”

Both parties have agreed to meet with a mediator on Wednesday as nurses finish day five of their strike, but the agreement isn’t legally binding and the two sides are still very far apart.