CHICAGO — Workers at Loretto Hospital were back on the picket line Monday as the strike enters its second week. 

Workers continue to call for living wages, saying low pay has created an understaffing problem that now impacts patient care. At least 200 workers at Loretto Hospital on the city’s Southwest Side walked off the job the morning of July 31.

A union representative says over the weekend, both sides inched closer toward an agreement, though one was not reached. Some issues remain a sticking point, such as how officials plan to address the turnover rate at Loretto Hospital, which stands at nearly 60%.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Hundreds of Loretto Hospital workers walk off the job

“It’s not right for Loretto to leave these workers, who have invested and stayed and done the work, day in and day out, risked their lives and their safety, to not be honored in this contract,” said the executive vice president for the SEIU Erica Bland-Durosinmi. 

Union representatives add that Teamsters could cease deliveries to the hospital unless strikers’ demands are met. 

In a statement last week, the hospital said it had submitted proposals to address the union’s demands, hoping one proposal would lead to a collective bargaining agreement.