Fighting for Better Patient Care, Mercyhealth East UAW Members Mark 100 Days on Strike

JANESVILLE, WI – UAW Local 95 Unit 14 members at Mercyhealth’s East Clinic have reached a major milestone — 100 days on strike. Since July 2, these dedicated health care workers have been standing up not just for themselves, but for their patients. They’re fighting to restore quality care and fair jobs at Mercyhealth, where high-level decisions have turned what should be good, stable caregiving jobs into overworked, underpaid positions that put patient care at risk. On Friday, workers took a moment to celebrate their strength and unity as they continue to push back against an employer that is putting profits before patients.

“There’s no question that our members at Mercyhealth East are stronger today than they were on July 2 when they first walked out,” said UAW Local 95 President Judy McRoberts. “They’ve held the line for 100 days because they know what’s at stake — the quality of care their patients receive and the dignity of their own work. Mercy East UAW members take pride in caring for their community, and they understand that you can’t deliver quality patient care when management keeps turning good jobs into low-wage, high-stress positions. Mercyhealth needs to start valuing both its workers and its patients.”

UAW members at Mercyhealth East provide care in many roles from nurses to x-ray techs, receptionists to building maintenance. If Mercy runs, it’s because of these dedicated workers. Among the key issues keeping the picket line going is the employer’s proposal to increase health care costs, which are already a strain on the workforce. Low wages and a lack of safety are other issues that mobilized the walk-out in July.

“Mercyhealth is denying us any sense of security — even those of us working late into the evenings,” said Anna Farrington, one of the UAW members on strike at Mercyhealth. “We never know who might come in at any hour, and there are so few of us on staff. We want to give our patients the bestcare and comfort we can, but how are we supposed to do that when we don’t even feel safe ourselves? Mercyhealth didn’t seem to have any trouble finding security guards once we started our picket line — I guess it was possible after all.”

Between 2020 and 2023, Mercyhealth System brought in over $2 billion in total revenue — more than enough to ensure safe staffing and quality patient care. Yet instead of investing in patients or frontline caregivers, President and CEO Javon Bea pocketed $36.2 million during that period, including $11.5 million in 2023 alone. At a rally on Friday, community and political allies joined the Mercy East strikers to call out the hypocrisy and greed of one of the region’s largest employers.