Loretto Hospital Workers Will Strike In 10 Days

CHICAGO — Loretto Hospital workers on Wednesday delivered a 10-day strike notice, citing low wages and unsafe staffing amid months of bargaining.

The strike will start July 31 and last until an agreement is reached with hospital management, according to SEIU Healthcare Illinois. Striking employees will include transporters, various technicians, mental and behavioral health workers, and housekeeping.

“Staff often work six to seven days a week, 12 hours a day because we’re short-staffed,” lead emergency department technician Wellington Thomas said in a union news release. “Loretto overworks us and then has to pay overtime and then tells us they can’t afford to pay us industry-standard wages — it just doesn’t make sense.”

Job vacancy rates at Loretto range from 25-35 percent for some positions, according to SEIU.

“There are supposed to be three to five ER techs in the ER at all times,” Thomas said.

“But usually there’s just two of us. And sometimes I’m the only one. I can’t tell you how stressful that is with people coming in with all these life-threatening conditions and mental health crises and knowing I can’t do everything for them I’m supposed to.”

In addition to more pay and higher staffing levels, the union is also asking that Juneteenth be made a holiday for workers.

The strike will include hundreds of employees, according to FOX 32 Chicago, which published a statement from Loretto.

"Loretto Hospital is currently bargaining with the SEIU in an attempt to reach a new Collective Bargaining Agreement,” the statement said.

“We appreciate our employees in the SEIU and respect their right to bargain. We have not been able to reach a new Agreement yet, but we will continue to work toward that goal. We are hopeful we will get a new Agreement soon."