Solidarity With Illinois Nurses on Strike!

Rally in Solidarity with Striking UIH Licensed Practical Nurses

1740 W Taylor Street, Chicago

LPNs at UIC are going on an indefinite strike on Nov. 15th at 7AM to protest unfair labor practices committed by UI Health! Please come stand with the LPNs on Nov. 15th (and every week day that the strike continues) from 2:30-3:30PM at 1740 W. Taylor St. for our picket line and solidarity rally! Join the nurses and local representatives in calling on management to stop their illegal practices!

What’s been going on?

Not only is management engaging in illegal bargaining tactics they are also adamantly pursuing a contract that would establish a second-class status for LPNs, denying them the same rights and protections awarded to all other union UIH employees. UIH is taking advantage of the recent Janus v. AFSCME supreme court decision and fighting to be able to fire any LPN at will and change working conditions at their whim without the union having any ability to contest it. Management’s positions are blatant attempts to undermine the basic ability union members at UIC have to advocate for themselves and their rights.

Additionally, LPNs are woefully underpaid and UIH is unable to fill 15 positions, out of a total 50, due to low wages. Yet management’s wage proposal would start LPNs at $18/hr, a full $7/hr below the starting average for an LPN in the region. This severe underpayment and second class contract is especially disturbing considering the LPN unit is made up exclusively of women and people of color.

LPNs on the INA Bargaining Committee explicitly told UIH representatives that they see this attack on their rights and protections (protections that all other UIH unions have) as inherently racist and sexist, especially considering LPNs primarily serve black and brown communities on Chicago’s South and West Side.