ST. LOUIS—The bargaining unit representing nurses at SSM/Saint Louis University Hospital said Friday that it was giving notice to hold a one-day strike later this month to protest what it says are “deep concerns” that have not been resolved through contract negotiations which began in May.

Members of National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United authorized a strike in a vote taken Sept. 1. Nurses give a 10-day warning to let hospitals make alternate plans for patient care.

The SSM/SLU nurses will strike for 24 hours starting Sept. 25 at 7 a.m. until 6:59 a.m. the following day.

“A strike is a last resort, but we are at the point where more patients will be harmed if we don’t strike,” Jay Weaver, a registered nurse in SLU Hospital’s post-anesthesia care unit said in a statement. “We want to give our patients the best care, and we know that staff nurses provide the high-quality care our patients deserve. Management must do more to retain and recruit nurses.”

The union says the hospital’s vacancy rate has been above 30% since the spring of 2022 and that there’s been little movement in contract negotiations since they began in May.

In a statement, SSM Health said the union hasn’t responded to its proposals or offered any counterproposals since Aug. 29. Hospital officials also questioned the union’s tactics in authorizing a strike.

“It’s also important to note that while the NNOC states that 94% of nurses voted to authorize a strike — the NNOC leaders excluded more than 40% of SLU-H nurses from voting because they refuse to pay union dues,” the statement said in part. “When the union is ready to engage, we remain committed to reaching an agreement that provides our nurses with a strong, market competitive compensation and benefits package — while ensuring continued exceptional care and service.”

Prior to the strike announcement, members of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen unanimously supported a resolution Friday morning backing the nurses and urging SSM Health to negotiate in good faith.

“Just a couple years ago we were in the middle of a global pandemic and people were going out on balconies and banging pots and pans together to celebrate health care workers because we realized how important they were when things start to fall apart,” Alderman Bret Narayan said. “It blows my mind that 700 days later we’re talking about whether they deserve living wages.”