Ascension Seton nurses plan 1-day strike to protest work conditions

Editor's Note: The video at the top of this story shows KXAN’s morning headlines for Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023.

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Nurses at Ascension Seton Medical Center (ASMCA) in Austin plan to hold a one-day strike on Dec. 6 in protest of alleged "unsafe work conditions," according to a release from National Nurses United.

The release from the union said around 2,000 nurses in Austin and at two hospitals in Kansas will strike to call attention to staffing and equipment issues.

"At ASMCA, there is a lack of functional IV pumps, hospital gowns, blankets, and thermometers, as well as persistent problems with hospital-issued phones that nurses use during their shift for communication," the release claims.

KXAN reached out to Ascension Seton Medical Center for a response to the release. This story will be updated when we hear back.

As part of a nationwide movement, Ascension Seton nurses in Austin previously held a one-day strike this summer. At the time, the group of unionized registered nurses said it was the largest nurse strike in Texas history. The strike was part of contract negotiations the union said would improve the health of their patients and communities.

The group of Ascension Seton nurses voted to unionize in September 2022, joining the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United.