By Bob Hennelly

On this episode of the Stuck Nation Labor Radio Hour, Rev. Dr. William Barber joins Sara Nelson, president of CWA’s Association of Flight Attendants, in full support of United Steelworkers Nurses Local 4-200 on strike for safer staffing at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ since Aug. 4.

The hospital’s parent RWJBaranabas, which is self-insured, terminated the nurses’ health insurance earlier this month and has embarked on an expensive anti-union drive.

RN Judy Danella, head of USW Nurses Local 4-200, and fellow RN Kristle Simms-Murphy, with the New York State Nurses Association, also join the discussion about safe staffing and the latter’s landmark union contract which secured a 35-percent pay increase for several thousand nurses working with New York City’s Health+Hospital Corporation.

In part two of the show, Danella, along with SEIU 1199 VP Leilani Montes and SEIU 1199 Organizer Andy Cassagnol, discuss the labor situation at Clara Maass Hospital  in Bellville, NJ, which like Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, is part of the RWJ Baranabas non-profit conglomerate responsible for running a dozen New Jersey hospitals. RJW Baranbas is a $6.6 billion healthcare giant with a dozen hospitals. Although it is officially a non-profit, it paid a former CEO $16 million dollars in the second year of the pandemic. Clara Maass’ rank and file voted to form a union in 2021, but have yet to secure their first contract.

Listen to the entire show below: