Talk of strike before vote is premature, Mission nurse says

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Another deadline is looming in the showdown between Mission Hospital and the nurses union.

Mission Hospital and its unionized nurses have been at the bargaining table since April, trying to reach an agreement on a new contract. Their most recent contract — ratified in 2021 — was the nurses’ first union contract, and it expired July 2, 2024.

About 1,600 Mission nurses are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United in the bargaining unit covered by the contract.

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As the days turn to weeks without a new contract, many worry a strike may be inevitable, though union nurses insist that’s not the goal. The goal, they said, is safe staffing and a fair contract.

“We are not fully staffed,” Mission nurse Elle Kruta, who is part of the negotiating team, said during an “informational picket” earlier this month. “We want them to do a fair contract, give us the staffing that we need.”

Kruta said on Tuesday any talk of a strike is premature.

“We have not voted yet,” she said. “We have voting coming up. But there has been no vote as of right now to strike or not.”

The next bargaining session has been set for Tuesday, Aug. 27.

Kruta said it’s too early to tell if the Aug. 6 picket helped nurses get their message to HCA Healthcare and Mission Hospital.

“I won’t know that until we get there next week,” she said. “I mean, we’ve heard nothing, but that’s not unusual in bargaining. That’s all up in the air until next Tuesday.”

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And if union nurses don’t like what HCA is offering?

“As it’s been put out there, we are going to be voting. We’ll have four days of voting on whether to strike or to continue ratification,” Kruta said.

“But we, like I said, we won’t know until we actually show up the day of bargaining and we know what’s on the table and what they brought and we have an opportunity to just discuss it.”

So, after the bargaining session, certain times will be set aside over four days for all Mission nurses to vote.

“We have certain times that are set aside each day. It’s about six hours, different times during the day for the nurses to be able to come in and cast their vote,” Kruta said. “It’s all members of the nursing staff for Mission Hospital whether they’re a member of the union or not. Everybody will vote on this.”

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Mission Health Division Director of Public and Media Relations Nancy Lindell issued the following statement:

“Nurses are an important part of our care team and we remain committed to reaching a contract agreement that is fair and equitable and allows us to continue to provide the excellent patient-centered care our community deserves.

“NNU leadership’s eagerness to strike is unnecessary and it would be more productive for them to bargain in good faith. It is disappointing that the union continues to mislead its members as we have bargaining dates scheduled this month, next month, and in October. If the NNU leadership does choose to go down their pre-determine strike path, Mission Hospital will remain open. We have taken proactive measures including contracting with fully qualified and licensed nurses that are ready to step in to make sure our patients receive the medical care they need and deserve. Our commitment to exceptional patient care and safety will not be compromised as the region’s destination for advanced clinical services.”