Hundreds of nurses went on strike on June 27 outside the Ascension Seton Medical Center, marking the largest nurses’ strike in Texas history, according to a National Nurses United press release. 

“We feel like this strike is really the only thing that could get (Ascension’s) attention and that could push their hands to actually be the health care providers that they continue to tote that they are,” critical care nurse Taylor Critendon said. 

Starting at 6:45 a.m., nurses and other community members picketed along 38th Street to highlight longstanding concerns over patient safety and fair contracts.

“We’ve been negotiating with Ascension for about a few months now, eight months actually to be exact,” mother-baby nurse Kristine Kittelson said. “We’ve passed a lot of proposals for safe staffing, better recruitment retention for nurses, and they’re just not taking us seriously, not putting our patients and our communities first.” 

Earlier in the month, 98% of nurses voted to go on strike. Ascension released a statement on June 16 after being notified of the strike. 

“We are disappointed that (National Nurses United) has made the decision to proceed with a one-day strike, especially given the economic and logistical hardship this will present for our associates and their families, and the questions and concerns this action may cause our patients and their loved ones,” the statement read. “Patient safety is our top priority, and ASMCA is well prepared to remain open and care for our patients during this work stoppage event. We have a comprehensive contingency plan in place to ensure there is no disruption in care or service for those we are privileged to serve.”

Kittelson said high patient-to-staff ratios were a main factor in the strike, with nurses too understaffed to care for all the hospital’s patients. She thinks addressing this concern would benefit both community members and nurses. 

“Safe staffing gives safe ratios and safer care for our patients,” Kittelson said. “It’s really about them, and we want our community to know that we’re out here for them, and our patients can’t wait.”

Politicians like Congressman Greg Casar expressed their support at a rally during the strike, using the event to call on the community and other politicians to stand behind nurses. 

“This strike is an act of solidarity and love,” Casar said. “We will keep doing this because lives are on the line. It’s not solidarity some days, it’s not solidarity sometimes, it’s solidarity forever.”

While the strike was only planned for one day, Ascension’s hiring of contracted nurses means that striking nurses will be out of work until July 1, according to a press release from the National Nurses Organizing Committee.

“They have chosen to walk out their staff that work there every day, that are committed to this community, and instead use money to hire strike nurses who have never set foot in that hospital,” Critendon said. “It’s a very unfortunate and unacceptable response from them … they’re clearly terrified of the power that nurses have and would rather spend money on replacement temporary staff than put it back in the hospital.”

At the rally, National Nurses Organizing Committee president Sandy Reding said the union would work to ensure Ascension nurses receive fair contracts. 

“There is no nursing shortage; there’s a shortage of nurses that want to work under these conditions that we’re working under,” Reding said. 

Monica Gonzalez, a neurology nurse of over 19 years, said the strike was important to benefit nurses, patients and the community.

“This strike shows nurses in our community and across the country that collective action is a powerful thing,” Gonzalez said. “Together we can make changes.”