Nurses at N.J. hospital say they will strike in 10 days if no settlement is reached
Taken from NJ.com
By Jackie Roman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
May 30, 2025
Nurses at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin say they are ready to go on strike in 10 days if they can’t reach an agreement over staffing levels in a new contract with Hackensack Meridian Health.
An overwhelming majority of the hospital’s 350 nurses, 98%, authorized the strike in an April vote, according to the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, Local 5138 website.
On Thursday, the union told the hospital the nurses will walk off the job June 9 if an agreement is not reached. The National Labor Relations Board prohibits strikes at health care facilities without at least 10 days’ notice to the institution and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
The union’s previous contract expired April 30. Nurses and management met at 10 a.m. Thursday, but negotiations broke down when the talks turned to staffing levels, said Anna Pona, president of Local 5138 and a registered nurse at the hospital.
“No other employer in the state disputes that there’s a nursing crisis, yet today at the table Hackensack Meridian Health officials told us Southern Ocean Medical Center doesn’t have a problem with staffing,” said Pona.
“However, we’ve just had testimony today from nurses who are in fear of coming to work. They don’t even know how to be a nurse yet and they’re coming out of school having seven or eight patients. That’s difficult for a seasoned nurse, not to mention a novice,” said Pona, who has 35 years experience.
Staffing levels have been a priority for nurses since bargaining sessions first began on Feb. 10, according to union leaders.
“Those people we’re taking care of are like family. I want to make sure that when my family is coming in, they’re being taken care of. I don’t want them to be left in the corner because they’re someone’s eighth patient,” said Pona.
Debbie White, president of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, the union representing the nurses, said Hackensack Meridian Health is the only employer they’ve bargained with this past year that has resisted contract language limiting the number of patients nurses may be assigned.
In March 2023, the union released a position paper titled “CODE RED” which called attention to poor staffing and its byproducts, burnout and stress.
Southern Ocean Medical Center will remain open during any strike using replacement nurses provided by a staffing agency, according to a statement provided by Hackensack Meridian Health.
“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith with HPAE to reach a tentative agreement on a new labor contract – hopefully without HPAE leading nurses on strike. The union has the option to withdraw its 10-day notice before its strike begins,” the statement reads.
The dispute centers on what is best for patients, said White.
“We’re not just doing this because these nurses want an easy assignment. Nurses want their assignments limited so they can pay attention to their patients, so they can give them best possible care,” said White.
Several other nursing unions are in the midst of contract negotiations, including nurses at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and nurses at four Inspira Health hospitals. Contracts for nurses at those hospitals expire on Sunday.
There are 543 members at New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus and 1,800 members at the Inspira Health hospitals.
Those talks are looking hopeful, said White.
In 2024, a bill was introduced by State Sen. Joseph Vitale (D-Middlesex) and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Union) to make enforceable staffing ratios the law. However, the legislation did not advance past committee.
