Statement From Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick Re: Nurses Union Strike Notification

“We are extremely disappointed to have received official notification of a strike from United Steel Workers Local 4-200 (USW 4-200), the union that represents our nurses, at approximately 3:30 PM today. Day one of the strike will occur on Friday, August 4, per the legally-mandated 10-day window. This strike can still be averted if a settlement is reached by that time.

“We have not received any counter-offer in writing or any credible sense of where the union stands, let alone what they would or could agree to. Further, we have agreed to enter into a binding arbitration, and the union has refused. RWJUH nurses are currently the highest paid in New Jersey, based on publicly available salary data, yet have rejected a generous settlement at a time when hospitals nationwide are struggling to recruit and retain nurses.

“If a strike occurs, the RWJUH team is prepared. We have activated an extensive contingency plan that puts patient care first by hiring a highly-qualified replacement nursing workforce for an extended period of time, which could exceed 60 days. Hiring replacement nurses for an extended period of time ensures continuity of care. The contingency plan comes a great cost, but it is the right thing to do for our patients.

“We will continue to negotiate with the union to reach a settlement. It remains our goal to find an equitable resolution as quickly as possible. Given the inability of the union to ratify the settlement in the Memorandum of Agreement that they signed with the hospital last week, we hope that they will return with more productive dialog and alignment with their membership.”

The hospital is providing the following details regarding the information from the rejected proposal that was agreed upon by the union last Monday, July 17 in the Memorandum of Agreement.

RWJUH settlement proposal to nurses as of July 17, 2023:

Summary of Rejected Terms

• Year 1 wage increase of 7.6% inclusive of the out of cycle increase granted in February. Year 2 and 3 wage increases at 4% per year.

• A first-year full-time nurse would make approximately $97,000, plus ample overtime, night, weekend and call-in enhancements and opportunities. If present trends regarding overtime and the like hold, we would expect the average compensation to exceed approximately $117,000.

• The total year 1 enhancement, when combined with the out of cycle increase and the benefits set forth below, represents an increase of more than 10%.

• Staffing ratio standards with financial guarantees if standards are not

• Increases in longevity bonus pay for nurses with 10 or more years of

• For the fourth year in a row, no increase in health plan contributions for 2024, and a cap on increases in 2025 and 2026.

• Additional retirement plan

• Increased uniform allowances and parking

• Certain part-time nurses qualify for full-time

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