Nurses At Jersey Shore University Medical Center Vote To Go On Strike
Taken from The New Jersey Patch
By Carly Baldwin, Patch Staff
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
The nurses at Jersey Shore University Medical Center — the largest trauma center on the Jersey Shore — just voted to approve a strike.
The vote to authorize the strike was near unanimous: The total number of union voting members at the hospital is 1,700, and 1,411 voted “yes” to go on strike and 65 voted not to strike, according to the nurses’ union.
The nurses’ contract expires at 7 a.m. Sept. 8, but the nurses have to give a 10-day notice before they go on strike.
There are two key demands the nurses are asking for. The first is to lower nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.
How many patients does each nurse typically have?
“It ranges by unit,” said a spokesman for the nurses’ union, part of Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE). “A nurse could find herself having 6 or 7 patients at one time. It makes a big difference if one of those is your loved one.”
According to Debbie White, a nurse and HPAE president: “Every other employer in the last 18 months, including Hackensack Meridian twice — at Southern Ocean Medical Center and at Palisades Medical Center — has agreed to include nurse-to-patient ratios in new contracts. There is no reason why Hackensack Meridian Health cannot agree to it in this contract as well.”
Jersey Shore University Medical Center is owned by Hackensack Meridian Health, which said in a statement Tuesday in response to the strike-authorization vote:
“Jersey Shore University Medical Center is among the safest hospitals in the nation. We are proud of our ‘Straight A’ rating from the Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. ‘Straight A’ hospitals have earned an “A” in at least five consecutive cycles of the Hospital Safety Grade.
Our world-class team members are the reason we have achieved this remarkable designation. We will continue to strive for excellence in the care we provide to every patient, every day.
We will continue to negotiate in good faith with the union for a contract that maintains our track record for safe staffing, safety and the flexibility required for high-quality care while providing competitive wages and benefits. We have reached numerous tentative agreements since negotiations began on June 27. We look forward to settling the contract without unnecessary delay.”
Secondly, the nurses are asking the hospital to adopt health and safety language that address issues in the workplace, including violence.
“A patient brought a gun to the hospital once,” said the union spokesman.
Nurses at Jersey Shore University Medical Center filed unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Hackensack Meridian Health, citing violations of law and contract terms, according to HPAE Local 5058 President Dan Hayes, RN.
“We have reached our tipping point,” said Hayes. “We will not settle our contract without nurse-to-patient ratios. Ultimately, our patients, nurses and members of our community deserve a hospital with guaranteed safe staffing.”