University of Chicago Medicine on Wednesday evening said it will not reach a new labor agreement with its nurses by Friday, when its current contract expires. "This means that our nurses likely will be working without a contract after that date until a new agreement is reached," the hospital said in a statement. Jan Rodolfo, the lead negotiator and Midwest director of National Nurses United, which represents about 1,500 nurses, said it is likely that the nurses would take a strike vote in the near future "unless something significant changes." However, she said, a strike or a strike vote is always a last option. Both sides have yet to discuss wages. They are locked in what's called non-economic proposals, including staffing levels and shifts. For example, Rodolfo said the union wants the hospital to hire nurses who would be in charge of patients during breaks. It says this is important because nurses often don't take breaks or eat very quickly, hoping they aren't needed as they finish their meals. Another issue is rotating shifts. Under the current contract, for example, a day nurse can be called into work at night twice in a six-week period. The union wants this practice to end. The hospital wants to expand it, so that nurses can be called into work during off shifts up to six times in a six-week period. The hospital also is proposing to change the position of nurses in charge of a unit to a supervisory role. The union says the change would eliminate a nurse from a shift, essentially eliminating a position. The hospital says that those nurses have a lot of administrative duties and do not have patients assigned to them during shifts and thus it makes more sense for them to hire people to be managers. Rodolfo said she sees both sides continuing to negotiate after the contract expires Friday. "I expect additional bargaining days to be scheduled," Rodolfo said. The hospital said in its statement that it remains "disappointed" that the union has not made more progress in narrowing its proposals so both sides could reach an agreement before the contract's expiration.

University of Chicago Medicine on Wednesday evening said it will not reach a new labor agreement with its nurses by Friday, when its current contract expires.

"This means that our nurses likely will be working without a contract after that date until a new agreement is reached," the hospital said in a statement.

Jan Rodolfo, the lead negotiator and Midwest director of National Nurses United, which represents about 1,500 nurses, said it is likely that the nurses would take a strike vote in the near future "unless something significant changes." However, she said, a strike or a strike vote is always a last option.

Both sides have yet to discuss wages. They are locked in what's called non-economic proposals, including staffing levels and shifts.

For example, Rodolfo said the union wants the hospital to hire nurses who would be in charge of patients during breaks. It says this is important because nurses often don't take breaks or eat very quickly, hoping they aren't needed as they finish their meals.

Another issue is rotating shifts. Under the current contract, for example, a day nurse can be called into work at night twice in a six-week period. The union wants this practice to end. The hospital wants to expand it, so that nurses can be called into work during off shifts up to six times in a six-week period.

The hospital also is proposing to change the position of nurses in charge of a unit to a supervisory role. The union says the change would eliminate a nurse from a shift, essentially eliminating a position. The hospital says that those nurses have a lot of administrative duties and do not have patients assigned to them during shifts and thus it makes more sense for them to hire people to be managers.

Rodolfo said she sees both sides continuing to negotiate after the contract expires Friday.

"I expect additional bargaining days to be scheduled," Rodolfo said.

The hospital said in its statement that it remains "disappointed" that the union has not made more progress in narrowing its proposals so both sides could reach an agreement before the contract's expiration.

Original Article on the Chicago Tribune's Website