A group of Rock County citizens hosts a rally this Saturday to support medical workers who continue to strike at Mercy East clinic in Janesville.
One of the group’s members, Cathy Myers, says the group formed because it wants to see Mercyhealth resume substantive talks with the dozens of UAW-represented clinic workers who are on strike.
Myers, says the group calling itself a Committee of Concerned Citizens sought a way to support medical workers at East Clinic who remain on strike — as well as nonunion members who are being tasked with duties filling in during the strike.
Myers says her group is hosting the rally to show that some in the community wish to see an end to a labor standoff that has now run 11 full weeks.
Committee of Concerned Citizens has circulated a petition that Myers says asks Mercy to return to talks with the UAW in a way that shows “good faith” in bargaining.
Myers says the group decided to show its support after they’d heard Mercyhealth officials didn’t show up at a round of previously scheduled mediation.
The union has asked for increases to wages and benefits that balance out an increase in the cost of living, and they want upgrades to security at Mercy East.
One UAW health care worker at Mercy East, Sandy Welch, tells Big Radio the union is set to re-enter talks with Mercy this week for the second week in a row.
Meanwhile, employees at Mercy East tell Big Radio that Mercy has been shuffling some nursing and medical technician staff around in its local network of hospitals and clinics to cover gaps caused by the strike.
She says the round of mediation last week was not fruitful, but this week will be the the first time in months the two sides will have returned to anything resembling a typical, routine schedule of mediation.
Meanwhile, some employees have suggested Mercy has hired staff who’ve left other regional health care companies, and has moved some of those workers into positions currently open at the clinic because of the strike.
Mercyhealth’s corporate leadership for weeks has declined comment on specifics of the labor standoff. The nonprofit company has repeatedly referred back to a statement Mercy made in July, when the strike started. At that time, Mercy said it treats all its workers with equity, and remains committed to uninterrupted patient care at Mercy East clinic.
The citizens rally is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m Saturday at Mercy Hospital, 1000 Mineral Point Ave., Janesville.
