South Brunswick Passes Resolution In Support Of RWJ Nurses

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The South Brunswick Council on Tuesday passed a resolution in support of two bills that striking NJ nurses have been pushing for.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital nurses’ strike has now entered almost month. Nearly 1,700 nurses walked off their jobs in August demanding increased staffing and better pay.

During Tuesday’s Council meeting, nurses and residents from South Brunswick urged council members to support the striking nurses through the resolution.

On Dec. 1 the nurses’ union and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital reached a tentative agreement.

“Regardless of what the outcome will be, even if we come back to work, we are continuing our advocacy by standing in solidarity with Senate Bill S304 and Assembly Bill A4536 which establishes minimum registered professional nurse staffing standards for hospitals and ambulatory surgery facilities and certain DHS facilities,” said David F, a resident and nurse at RWJ.

The nurses said that as much as they want to provide service to patients, they have been hindered due to unsafe staffing procedures.

“We are fighting to pass this resolution to protect not only the nurses of today, but the future generation of nurses who will join us in serving our community,” David F said.

The townships of Dunellen, Edison, Franklin, Maplewood, Monroe, South Plainfield and others have passed similar resolutions.

Mayor Charlie Carley said he supported the nurses and the resolution. He told the gathered nurses that one of his sisters was an emergency room nurse at South Jersey Medical Center.

“She does God’s work and the things that she tells me about her work are harrowing,” Carley said.

“I walked on the (picket) line on RWJ because I appreciate the work you do every day – it’s hard.”

The Council thanked every nurse present during the meeting for their work.

The resolution passed unanimously in South Brunswick.

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