ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Safety — it’s a word that keeps popping up when Mission nurses talk about their jobs and the union’s negotiations with HCA Healthcare and the hospital.

Mission Nurses United, whose contract ended July 2, and hospital officials have been at the bargaining table since April, but a deal hasn’t been reached. The next bargaining session is set for Tuesday, July 16, hospital officials confirmed.

AS STRIKE LOOMS, WEBSITES SET UP TO HELP MISSION NURSES

Nurses have said a strike isn’t the goal. And Mission officials said a strike isn’t necessary. But that doesn’t seem to have brought them closer together at the bargaining table.

“Why are we talking about a strike? It all comes down to patient safety. We need to be able to recruit and retain excellent, experienced nurses and have enough staff to care for our patients. But HCA thinks the status quo is good enough,” Mission Nurses United said in a Facebook post last week.

The hospital is recruiting nurses, officials have said.

“Vacancies vary, however, we are always actively recruiting and offering generous sign-on bonuses for some positions,” spokesperson Nancy Lindell said in a statement earlier this month.

But the nurses’ union said that isn’t enough.

“Safe staffing every. single. day. Not just when there are surveyors in house, not just when it happens to happen. Every day! If the schedule isn’t to grid when it’s posted, offer incentive pay to get those shifts picked up,” a July 5 Facebook post from the union said.

BY THE NUMBERS: CLOSER LOOK AT MISSION NURSES’ NEGOTIATIONS

A Facebook post from last month said the nurse bargaining team recommended nurses pledge to strike. And the stalemate at the bargaining table seems to hint that a strike is possible.

With a strike looming, the community has stepped up and pledged to help union nurses.

A GoFundMe set up last week by Asheville DSA, a political, activist organization that says it seeks to empower working people and marginalized groups and build a more equitable society, has raised more than $6,000 of a $10,000 goal. Asheville DSA is calling it a strike fund.

“This fund will support workers who may be missing work to strike, in order to fight for a contract that puts nurses and patients before HCA profits,” an Asheville DSA spokesperson said via email.

“Everyone in Asheville is a potential patient at Mission Hospital, and this contract negotiation has shown that patients and nurses have the same interests; we all want safe staffing, mandatory shift handoffs, and nurses that are making enough to thrive here in Western North Carolina.”

‘NOBODY WANTS STRIKE TO BE THE END GOAL’ NURSE SAYS

Two other websites have also been set up to help Mission nurses in case of a strike. Asheville For Striking Nursing is accepting donations that can be raffled or auctioned with proceeds going to Mission nurses on strike. Asheville for Nurses has links where people may donate goods or services, as well as pledging their support for nurses.

“The nurses are fighting for all of us, and we hope that having a fund to financially support nurses will allow nurses, who may not have been able to otherwise, to participate in a strike (if it comes to that),” the Asheville DSA statement said.

“The American healthcare system, and specifically greedy for-profit corporations like HCA, are an example of the ways that capitalism incentivises sacrificing something as important as quality care for patients for corporate profits. The only way to stand up to this is an organized movement of the working-class fighting for its community, against the interests of the ruling elite. The bravery and commitment of the nurses at Mission are an inspiration to all of us, and show us what it can look like when working people fight for a just future,” the statement said.

CLOCK TICKING ON TALKS TO AVERT NURSES’ STRIKE AT MISSION HOSPITAL