Negotiations are underway to avert a strike by nearly 900 Rochester Regional Health nurses who are prepared to walk off the job first thing Thursday morning. 

“We’re out here fighting for our patients,” said Carmen Camelio, the president of the Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals. “If we have to strike in order to advocate for our patients, that’s what we’re doing.”

What You Need To Know

  • Negotiations are underway to avert a strike by nearly 900 Rochester Regional Health nurses

  • RRH nurses are prepared to strike for 48 hours beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday

  • Rochester General Hospital will have replacement nurses and says patients with scheduled procedures, tests, or exams at RGH should plan on showing up as scheduled

Camelio says he is still hopeful an agreement is reached as both sides are at the bargaining table. If not, RRH nurses will go on strike for 48 hours beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, citing concerns over safety, salary and more.

Rochester General Hospital says it is fully prepared to continue uninterrupted access for patients and the community. Patients with scheduled procedures, tests or exams at RGH should plan on showing up as scheduled.

“What we're going to show them is why they need staff nurses,” Camelio said. “They think they’re going to be able to operate business as usual with a lot of replacement nurses. What they’re going to find is if they don’t keep their nurses happy, if they don’t have a safe working environment, we’ve been losing nurses for a long time or we wouldn’t be in this situation. And what’s going to happen, what they’re going to understand is, if they lose the rest of us they’re in a heap of trouble.”

If a deal is not reached, the nurses will be outside the building picketing and replacement nurses will be inside caring for patients.