Illinois nurses begin strike at UI Hospital, citing safety and pay concerns

- Nurses with the Illinois Nurses Association began their strike at the University of Illinois Hospital early Wednesday morning, gathering in large numbers to march around the facility.

The nurses have been working without a contract since summer, as they and hospital management have not yet reached an agreement on issues of compensation and workplace safety.

UI Health Nurse Eileen Fajardo-Furlin highlighted concerns over unreported instances of workplace violence.

"They have a committee made up of all management, 30 of them who sit in offices making plans on how to make us safe. It seems to me, it's obvious, if you want to know what's going on, you speak to the nurses who are at the bedside," said Fajardo-Furlin.

"We are here, we are state employees. Our mission is to serve the underserved, not to line our pockets like the administrators have done," added nurse Lori Christopher.

In response, UI Health issued a statement asserting that their nurses are compensated above 90 percent of other nurses in Chicago and that they are actively addressing safety concerns through a workplace violence prevention committee that includes both staff and leadership.

Below is the full statement from UI Health:

SAFETY AND SECURITY