HPAE Virtua Hospital Members Announce Historic Strike Authorization Vote; Tell Elected Leaders at Town Hall they Need Enforceable Safe Staffing
HISTORIC VOTE FOR HPAE LOCAL 5105 NURSES TO AUTHORIZE STRIKE IF UNABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT FOR A FAIR CONTRACT IS CELEBRATED AT TOWN HALL
HPAE Local 5105 nurses were joined by elected leaders and community members at a Town Hall Monday night to urge Virtua Health to agree to enforceable safe staffing ratios in their union contract.
“No one disputes that safe staffing saves lives anymore. The wealth of scientific research has made it abundantly clear that nurse-to-patient ratios improve patient outcomes, save hospitals money and help recruit and retain nurses,” HPAE President Debbie White, RN said.
“We’ve bargained enforceable safe staffing ratios in 13 other contracts over the past two years, so Virtua needs to get on board,” White continued. Click here to review a list of current HPAE contracts’ staffing ratios.
Sheryl Mount, HPAE Local 5105 President, said “I have never seen our Nurses as ready as they are now to fight for safe staffing. Last night we celebrated a historic vote: 95% of our members voted overwhelming in favor of a strike if necessary. Our Nurses know that Virtua can no longer hide behind excuses. The fact is, Virtua has plenty of nurses to meet the staffing ratios we proposed. Our patients in Burlington County deserve to have a safe staffing hospital in their community.”
Senator Linda Greenstein (LD14), who is the co-prime sponsor of S.3022, the “Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act,” joined the nurses at Monday night’s Town Hall. Also addressing the Nurses was Assemblyman Balvir Singh (LD-7), a co-sponsor of A.1974 the “Patient Protection and Safe Staffing Act.”
Sen. Greenstein, a long-standing advocate for safe staffing ratios, praised HPAE’s persistence in fighting for enforceable safe staffing in both the Trenton State House and in their unionized hospitals.
“The fact that you are being so successful bargaining enforceable safe staffing into your contracts is very impressive to me,” said Greenstein.
Assemblyman Singh said it was remarkable that HPAE already has enforceable safe staffing ratios in 13 other contracts with hospitals across New Jersey. “So, why not Virtua?” Singh asked. “I am definitely in support of this particular push to get it in the contract.”
HPAE Local 5105 Vice President Beth Cohen who is also the chair of the Local 5105 Staffing Committee with Virtua Memorial, said that over 6,500 Unsafe Staffing Forms have been filed by members.
“And, as a nurse at this hospital, I live it daily,” Cohen said. “I see all my colleagues’ frustrations, the ones who find themselves at the end of their rope, who are burnt out and leaving bedside nursing. It should not be like this. We want to make sure patients have access to safe staffing at Virtua.”
HPAE Local 5105 contract with Virtua Health expires on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Over 95% of the nurses voted last week to authorize a strike if the Bargaining Committee is unable to reach an agreement on a fair contract.
The Negotiating Committee for HPAE Local 5105 Registered Nurses have held several negotiating sessions with Virtua Health administrators without progress on key issues, especially enforceable Safe Staffing ratios.
For more information on the decades of studies that have been conducted to show that Safe Staffing Saves Lives, please click here to learn more.
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