We came away from the bargaining table on Wednesday more disappointed in AHMC and our management than ever.

Your bargaining team has been reasonable every step of the way.

We've worked with management. We've thoroughly explained our proposals and made clear what you've all said in your bargaining surveys: that recruitment and retention matter.

Safe staffing requires keeping Nurses at our hospital.

We have met with them a dozen times now, and we've even shown a willingness to compromise and adjust our proposals - up to a point.

But management makes such tiny, minuscule movement on Nurses' compensation that it looks like they're not really trying. Baby steps are not going to get us where we need to be. Tiny movements are not going to stop Nurses from leaving.

Each time they come back with a refusal to take Nurses' reasonable proposals seriously, it feels like a slap in the face.

The next step is for Nurses to send a stronger message to management: we are ready to strike for our patients and our profession!

The choice of whether to strike is up to Nurses. Make your voice heard, make your vote count, and cast your vote for our next step to win real improvements, respect for Nurses, and safe staffing.

The minor improvements offered by AHMC management felt insulting. We need real incentives to keep skilled, experienced nurses at our hospital. If management isn't getting the message at the bargaining table, the next message will come at our strike vote.

Maria Elena Diaz, NICU, bargaining team member; Jennifer Hsieh, L&D; Ernesto Fajardo, 3 West, bargaining team member