Unionized nurses at three South Florida hospitals rallied outside Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah on Friday morning for a new three-year contract, demanding more pay and better patient safety.
The last contract expired Sept. 30 and current negotiations with Healthcare Services of America have since stalled, according to a statement from the nurses, who are members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee.
“HSA has failed, up to this point, to address in any meaningful way our core demands of patient safety and employee retention,” said Lazaro Garcia, an intensive care unit RN at Palmetto General Hospital, in a statement.
HSA did not issue any immediate public statements about the contract negotiations.
Friday's rally included nurses from Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center.
The three hospitals were previously owned by Steward Healthcare, which declared bankruptcy last year.
“We nurses are ready to do what it takes to win a fair deal,” said Talaya McDermott-Harrison, a nurse who works at Florida Medical Center in Lauderdale Lakes. “HSA has proposed takebacks at negotiations rather than creatively addressing our needs for patient safety and employee retention.”
The local union chapter represents about 1,000 nurses at Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center.
