Nurses extend strike vote for Asheville's Mission Hospital through weekend

ASHEVILLE - A strike vote by nurses at Mission Hospital has been delayed and extended through the weekend after union leaders said many who wanted to vote have not been able to because of short staffing, which they say is a continuing problem at the hospital.

The vote, if it gains a majority of the 1,600 union and non-union nurses, would give union leaders the option to call a strike. It signals an escalation in tensions between staff and management. Should nurses strike, federal law requires they give 10 days notice. The hospital has been advertising for strike nurses to fill in.

Nursing staff is at odds with Mission's owner, HCA Healthcare, over issues such as pay, staffing numbers and improving recruitment and retention as well as guaranteed bathroom and meal breaks. Voting started Aug. 25 and was to end Aug. 29, taking place in the hospital cafeteria.

But Hannah Drummond, a nurse and union leader, told the Citizen Times Aug. 30 "many who have been enthusiastic about it have not been able to vote."

"They don't even eat while they are at work, so they haven't been able to pop in during the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. session," said Drummond, an 11-year nurse now working in heart catherization recovery. Drummond said the best information she could give about the new timeframe was "through the weekend." Monday, Sept. 2, is the Labor Day holiday.

Nurses unionized in 2020 after the nonprofit Mission was bought for $1.5 billion by HCA, a for-profit organization and the largest owner of hospitals in the country.

The nurses have worked without a contract since their first agreement with HCA expired July 2. Negotiations, including a last meeting between the parties Aug. 27, have not yielded a deal.

"We make a little bit of progress every single session we go to, but we haven't gotten serious offers that we are comfortable with accepting from the hospital yet on recruiting and retaining nurses. And we're getting nothing from them regarding improving staffing," she said.

Staffing issues in two particular departments, emergency and oncology, are the subject a lawsuit brought against HCA by state Attorney General Josh Stein.

About breaks, she said HCA has told them their proposal won't work, even though Drummond said the concept comes from a break system used throughout California — including in HCA hospitals — where it is mandated by law.

HCA spokesperson Nancy Lindell, responded to a query by the Citizen Times, saying HCA had made a "very signifant wage proposal" and would continue to "bargain in good faith."

The process, she said, had led to agreements on parking, uniforms and technology, as well as significant progress on health benefits, safety and education support.

"We hope that we can conclude these negotiations and move forward together in caring for patients," Lindell said.

More: Asheville Mission nurse strike vote days away; 'can't pee or eat at work'

More: NC Attorney General's office: HCA's annual report conflicts with court statements

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times .

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Nurses extend strike vote for Asheville's Mission Hospital through weekend