Hundreds of nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) in New Brunswick have taken to the streets, picketing outside the facility as they press for pay raises and the hiring of more staff. The striking nurses, represented by United Steel Workers Local 4-200 (USW 4-200), are standing united in their demands, among which include a cap on health insurance costs.
As of Friday morning, more than 1,700 nurses were gathered outside the hospital, holding placards and voicing their concerns. But despite the strike,, the hospital said its operations are continuing as normal.
The striking nurses are demanding better compensation, pay raises, and the hiring of more nursing staff to ease their workload.
The nurses’ union has also insisted on capping health insurance costs, emphasizing the importance of affordable healthcare for their members.
The strike is solely at the New Brunswick hospital, and has not extended to the Somerset and Rahway campuses of the hospital.
In response to the strike, RWJUH announced its intention to hire “replacement nurses” to maintain operations during this period of unrest – an expensive solution to the issue.