Message to Staff: Temporary Restraining Order Entered for INA Strike
Dear UI Health—
Yesterday, a temporary restraining order (TRO) was entered against the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) to prevent certain INA-represented registered nurses from striking beginning Monday, Aug. 19.
On Aug. 8, the INA announced its intention to strike for seven (7) days beginning Monday, Aug. 19, at 7 am.
The TRO requires that INA-represented registered nurses in the units described below who have been scheduled to work during the period of the planned strike may be requested to report to work as scheduled. These are maximum numbers.
- By 5 pm Sunday, UI Health will notify both the INA and the INA-represented nurses scheduled to work in the specific unit of the number of INA represented nurses needed for the day and evening shifts during the period of the strike.
- By 10 am Monday, UI Health will notify both the INA and the INA-represented nurses scheduled to work in the specific unit of the number of INA represented nurses needed for the night shift during the period of the strike.
| UNIT | MAXIMUM NUMBER OF NURSING ENJOINED FROM STRIKING PER SHIFT |
| Bone Marrow Transplant Unit | 1 Charge RN + 5 RN |
| Emergency Department | 1 Charge RN + 11 RN (including 2 DECON-trained per shift) |
| OB Emergency Department | 1 Charge RN + 2 RN |
| Labor & Delivery Unit | 1 Charge RN + 5 RN |
| Medical Intensive Care Unit/Open Heart Intensive Care Unit | 1 Charge RN + 2 Resource RN + 2 RN |
| Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit | 1 Charge RN + 1 Resource RN + 4 RN |
| Neonatal Intensive Care Unit | 1 Charge RN + 8 RN |
| Organ Transplant/Surgical Intensive Care Unit |
1 Charge RN + 5 RN |
| Pediatric Intensive Care Unit | 1 Charge RN + 2 RN |
| Hematology Oncology Infusion Clinic | 15 RN |
| Adolescent Psychiatric Comprehensive Assessment Treatment Unit | 1 Charge RN + 1 Managing Milieu |
| The Center for Women’s Health | 6 RN |
| Cardiovascular Services Department/Cath Lab | 6 RN |
| Neuro Interventional Radiology Neuro Endovascular Lab |
6 RN |
In the event of a strike, INA-represented registered nurses covered by the TRO will still be expected to report to work as scheduled. If any such nurses are unable to report to work as scheduled due to personal illness or other emergency, they will be expected to follow the appropriate procedures as set forth in the most recent applicable collective bargaining agreement for reporting absences. Per the TRO, UI Health will follow its regular policies and procedures to find a replacement for the nurse and the INA will cooperate with UI Health to locate an appropriate replacement from that unit. The TRO allows for registered nurses covered by the order to be excused from work under certain circumstances related to low census and/or the number of staffing agency nurses who arrive on site and have the required completed preceptor portion of the unit-based staffing onboarding competency checklist. UI Health will work with the INA to ensure compliance with the order.
We are prepared to continue good faith bargaining for as long as it takes to reach a successful agreement.
For more information on our negotiations and the planned work stoppage, please visit the UI Health–INA Negotiation intranet tile and the UI Health Workforce site.
Sincerely,
Incident Command Management