The Salem Regional Nurses Association (SRNA) at Salem Regional Hospital voted Thursday evening to issue the hospital a 10-day strike notice. Union leaders say the decision to strike was "a strong vote from our members."

This comes after the union has been working through contract negotiations with hospital leaders, as their contracts are due to expire on April 20th. 

Last month, the SRNA placed signs around Salem Regional urging the hospital to put "Patients over Profits."

Union leaders say the goal is to ensure safe patient care, while attracting qualified RN's to work at Salem Regional. 

The hospital's vice president of marketing and planning, Debbie Pietrzak, issued the following statement on behalf of the hospital: “Salem Regional Medical Center is one of the few independent hospitals that is still not-for-profit, which means that generating a profit is not our motive. Our top priority is taking care of our patients and providing a safety net of healthcare services for our community. We are continuing good faith negotiations with the nurses’ bargaining unit and our goal is to achieve a mutually agreeable contract renewal, as we have in past years. SRMC greatly appreciates the care and dedication provided by every member of our staff.”

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