2020 University of Illinois Hospital strikes

The unions had been negotiating for new contracts for several months and had held over 70 bargaining sessions with hospital management, but despite this, no agreement could be concluded between the parties.

[1] The biggest issue regarding the negotiations pertained to nurse-to-patient ratios, with union representatives demanding limits to the total number of patients a single nurse must be responsible for.

[11] On September 8, the board of trustees for the University of Illinois system filed a lawsuit with the Circuit Court of Cook County to prevent the strike from occurring, claiming that, because of the important services provided by the hospital, the strike "would constitute a clear and present danger to the health or safety of the public.

[2] That same day, union representatives and hospital officials engaged in a 14-hour long bargaining session which ended at an impasse.

[13] An article published by the Chicago Sun-Times in late September claimed that the SEIU and hospital had participated in over 50 bargaining sessions over the course of several months at that point.

[14] On September 3, citing unfair labor practices,[15] SEIU Local 73 submitted a notice ten days in advance of their intent to strike.

[16] According to the union, their demands included instituting a base pay of $15 per hour, increasing the availabilities of masks and N95s, and protections against outsourcing, among other issues.

[6] Despite unfavorable weather conditions, the picketing lasted until 10 p.m.[19] That same day, in a story aired by WLS-TV, union officials accused UIC of preparing to bring in strikebreakers.

[18] At a joint rally that same day, political activist Jesse Jackson spoke in support of the strikers,[20] and the next morning, he joined the picket lines.

[16][22][23] According to INA representatives, union and hospital officials had been meeting every evening for the previous week in an attempt to come to an agreement.

[14] Agreements between the hospital and SEIU included protections against outsourcing, increased PPE, and a $15 hourly minimum wage for all workers in Chicago.

Provisions of the new contract included hazard pay during the COVID-19 pandemic, hiring an additional 160 nurses to help with staffing, and guarantees to providing more PPE.