Nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita have voted to authorize a strike as talks continue on a new contract.
The nurse voted last November to join the National Nurses United and contract talks have been ongoing for several months.
The nurses’ union is focusing on workplace violence prevention, the staffing-to-patient ratio and nursing staff recruitment and retention. The union reports 93 percent of the nurses voted to authorize a strike.
Ascension Via Christi officials issued a statement saying they’re disappointed by the move and they have been bargaining in good faith. Hospital officials said a number of negotiating sessions have been scheduled through August. They said they have not been given a ten-day strike notice.
