TOLEDO, Ohio - Health care workers at Mercy Health St. Vincent are officially on strike.
WTOL 11 reports more than 2,000 workers walked out Monday afternoon around 4:30pm and began lining up outside the hospital.
Workers say they're striking on a number of issues, including changes in their healthcare coverage and being scheduled for too many hours and on call shifts.
Negotiations between Mercy Health and UAW members have been ongoing since July 30.
Mercy Health St. Vincent's says they are working with their sister facilities to cover the striking employees and that the facility continues to operate as normal.
Senator Sherrod Brown released a statement Monday, encouraging Mercy Health St. Vincent and the striking workers to hammer out an agreement that is good for workers, patients and the community.
“Knowing that all parties involved care deeply about the patients and health of the northwest Ohio community, I encourage all sides to work together to resolve outstanding differences quickly. Nurses and healthcare workers provide critical care and with so many Ohioans relying on Mercy Health, a comprehensive agreement is imperative for workers, for patients and the Toledo community,” said Brown.
Senator Brown says he also plans to introduce legislation this week that would create minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios to help ensure nurses have the support they need to provide the best care for patients.