Hundreds of Howard University hospital employees plan to strike in protest of inadequate wages

Hundreds of workers at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., have announced a one-day strike next week in response to wage complaints.

The District of Columbia Nurses Association (DCNA), a labor union representing over 300 nurses, pharmacists, and social workers, claims that the workers are understaffed and underpaid and that as a result, they are demanding a fair contract and safe staffing to protect patients.

The union said that nurses and other qualified healthcare personnel at the hospital were likewise understaffed throughout the pandemic.

According to DCNA, the strike will begin at 7:30 a.m. on April 11.

The union warned Howard University president Dr. Wayne Frederick and Howard University Hospital CEO Anita Jenkins of the impending strike in a letter dated last week.

The union and the university’s hospital have been in talks since last July, when the collective bargaining agreement expired in November, resulting in several months of talks between both parties.

According to DCNA, hospital management left the bargaining table in mid-February after presenting their final offer. Shortly after the walkout, the union said 13 religion leaders from throughout Washington, D.C., wrote to the university’s president, urging that he negotiate a fair deal. According to the union, Frederick did not respond to the letter.

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