Ascension Seton nurses vote to authorize 1-day strike

AUSTIN, Texas  — The union representing 900 registered Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin nurses on Thursday announced they overwhelmingly voted to allow a one-day strike. It would be the largest such strike in Texas history, according to the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

Nurses voted on Wednesday and Thursday, with 98% voting to strike, NNOC/NNU said. Nurses would provide at least 10 days of notice before striking.

NNOC/NNU in a news release said nurses are protesting “ASMCA management’s unacceptable and delayed responses to nurses’ contract proposals, which would ensure the highest level of patient care in Austin, by improving nurse recruitment and retention so that every unit has safe staffing levels.”

“Our patients can’t wait any longer,” Lindsay Spinney, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit, is quoted in the news release. “Nurses are sending a message to management with this overwhelming strike authorization that we are ready to do what it takes to win a strong contract that protects our patients’ safety.” 

The union further claims the hospital is “putting profits over patients.” Ascension, which owns the hospital, is a large, nonprofit Catholic health system.

“It’s morally distressing to work tirelessly for a nonprofit, Catholic system that consistently puts profits over its own patients and staff. We believe it is our duty to exercise our union power to ensure Ascension invests its deep financial resources back into its staff, patients, and the Austin community,” said Matthew Clark, a registered nurse in the intensive care unit.

Nurses are also complaining of chronic staffing shortages, making it difficult to provide quality care to patients, as well as “a revolving door of new graduates getting hired, receiving their hands on-training at ASMCA, and then leaving the hospital.”

Spectrum News 1 reached out to at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin for comment. We are awaiting a reply.