Inspira Nurses Call in Federal Mediator, Announce Plans for Picket

For more information contact: Bridget Devane at (732)996-5493

With their collective bargaining agreement ending on May 31st, nurses at Inspira Health, represented by the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), have called in a Federal Mediator to the bargaining table to help reach a new agreement.

The 1,300 Registered Nurses issued a 10-day notice to hospital management of their plan to hold an ‘Informational Picket’ at all four Inspira Hospitals and Inspira Corporate Offices on June 6, 2016.

“After months of negotiations, we remain focused on achieving a contract that includes safe staffing levels at every hospital, protecting the health and safety of patients and workers, and maintaining secure health and retirement plans for nurses in South Jersey,” said Dana Barrett, RN and HPAE Local 5131 President, representing Registered Nurses at Vineland, Elmer and Bridgeton hospitals.

According to the union, negotiations will be ongoing up until the contract deadline on Tuesday, May 31 and a Federal Mediator will join negotiations on Friday, May 27.

“Our health care system is in a state of constant change, and we need strong standards to protect patient care and our workplace rights. In these contract negotiations, nurses from all Inspira hospitals have joined together to fight for the same protections,” said Rich Wear, RN and HPAE Local 5621 President at Woodbury hospital.

The 10-day notice of informational picketing issued by the RNs to the hospital’s attorney is a legal requirement.

Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) is a healthcare union representing 12,000 Nurses and health care professionals throughout New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania and is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers. Nurses at Inspira hospitals in Vineland, Elmer and Bridgeton organized with the HPAE Local 5131 in 2006, and nurses at Woodbury hospital organized HPAE Local 5621 in 2014, ratifying their first contract last year.