WASHINGTON, D.C. — A recent nurses’ strike cost Washington Hospital Center approximately $6 million. The hospital hired 600 temporary nurses and increased security, as well as covered other expenses. Over 1,000 nurses took part in the strike.
The nurses walked off the job as part of a one-day strike but were locked out by the hospital from March 5 to March 9, The Washington Post reports. Janis Orlowski, the hospital’s chief medical officer, told the news source that 500 of the medical center’s 1,600 nurses crossed the picket line on March 4. National Nurses United claims that this figure is inflated.
Only a few nurses reported to the nighttime shift on March 4, and almost none reported on March 5. The strike was in response to a dispute over wages, benefits, staffing and patient safety. Nurses at the hospital have been without a contract for almost a year.
Both sides say they are committed to reaching an agreement. There was no drop in business from March 4-9.
