New London – Lawrence & Memorial Hospital nurses and technicians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to go on strike at 10:45 p.m. Nov. 16 unless key issues regarding sick time can be worked out and a new contract signed by then.

"We did not get a strike authorization – we got a strike demand," said Katherine Martin, president of one of the two unions involved in the contract talks with the hospital.

Neither AFT Local 5051, which represents licensed practical nurses and technicians, nor AFT Local 5049, which represents registered nurses, would release specific numbers from the vote, other than to say that turnout far exceeded the 75 percent of membership required for a the strike vote, and that a "supermajority" approved the strike. There are about 700 workers in the two unions.

"We're in the middle of an H1N1 pandemic and we're going to fight for what's right," said Lisa D'Abrosca, president of Local 5049. "The hospital stripping away our sick time will force nurses to come to work when they're ill."

Three more negotiating sessions are scheduled before Nov. 16. Union leaders acknowledged that the strike vote will give them new leverage at the bargaining table.

Hospital spokesman Kelly Anthony said the strike vote is "part of the negotiating process" and that the hospital is prepared to hire replacement nurses to keep the hospital running during a strike.

"The hospital needs to save money and we need to provide better care at a lower cost," he said. Current sick time policies, which would be scaled back dramatically under the hospital's proposal to the unions, "are costing the hospital money."

"We are hopeful we can find a compromise," Anthony said. "This is a very difficult time to go on strike."