Wendy Gottsegen, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital spokesperson:

“Both parties last met August 16 for approximately seven hours with the assistance of two federal mediators. Unfortunately, there was no progress and no further dates for negotiations have been scheduled by the mediators.

“Here is a recap of important facts:

• “RWJUH did everything it could to avoid a strike. The hospital agreed to and signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on July 13, which included the union’s core staffing proposal and compensation settlement. The union leaders signed it and agreed to recommend the MOA to its membership, but did not.  It was voted down by the nurses and a notice to strike was presented to the hospital.
• “Then on August 2, two days before the strike, the hospital submitted a proposal to the union that went even further than what was in the MOA, and the union never presented that proposal to its membership before they went out on strike.
• “RWJUH offered to enter binding arbitration or participate in a federal mediation and conciliation board of inquiry; the union refused both. When the hospital requested the union rescind its strike notice and return to the table to continue good faith negotiations, the union said no.
• “During the 10-day window prior to the strike, the hospital made another counteroffer to attempt to avert the strike. The union did not respond to the offer until after the strike.
• “Since the strike, mediation has not been productive; counteroffers from the union have far exceeded all previous asks, including those the union agreed to in the MOA.
• “The parties await notification from the mediators regarding the next session.

“We understand and recognize the toll the pandemic took on our nurses and have worked aggressively to address staffing. Despite a nationwide nursing shortage, in which New Jersey is facing 14,000 nurse vacancies, RWJUH has added 200 staff nurse positions since 2022 and has reduced its nurse vacancy rate to nearly half the national average. RWJUH nurses are already the highest paid in the state, and all offers by the hospital would have significantly elevated their status.

“We have said all along that no one benefits from a strike—least of all our nurses. We hope the union considers the impact a prolonged strike is having on our nurses and their families. As of September 1, RWJUH nurses must pay for their health benefits through COBRA. This hardship, in addition to the loss of wages throughout the strike, is very unfortunate and has been openly communicated to the union and the striking nurses since prior to the walk-out on August 4.

“As always, our top priority is to our patients. RWJUH is open, fully operational and completely staffed, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to deliver the highest quality and always-safe patient care.”

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) New Brunswick, an RWJBarnabas Health Facility, is a 640-bed academic medical center that is New Jersey’s largest academic medical center through its deep partnership with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. RWJUH is the flagship Cancer Hospital of Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and other Centers of Excellence include cardiovascular care from minimally invasive heart surgery to transplantation, cancer care, stroke care, neuroscience, orthopedics, bariatric surgery and women’s and children’s care including the nationally ranked Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (www.bmsch.org).  A Level 1 Trauma Center and the first designated Pediatric Trauma Center in the state, RWJUH’s New Brunswick campus serves as a national resource in its ground-breaking approaches to emergency preparedness. Learn more at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick

RWJUH has earned significant national recognition for clinical quality and patient safety, including the prestigious Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence and being named to Newsweek’s 2023 list of Ambulatory Surgery Centers. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital nationally ranked by US News & World report in Orthopedics and Urology for 2023-24. The RWJUH Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center has been recognized by The Joint Commission and the American Heart Association as meeting The Joint Commission’s standards for Disease-Specific Care Comprehensive Stroke Center Advanced Certification. RWJUH has also earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Disease-Specific Care Certification for Spine Surgery; The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Bariatric Services; and The Joint Commission Gold Seal Certification for Hip and Knee Replacement services. The Joint Commission also awarded RWJUH a Gold Seal Certification as well as an Advanced Certification in Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) Implantation.

For more Information visit us online at www.rwjbh.org/newbrunswick