A labor strike involving hundreds of Logan Health nurses continued for a second day Wednesday.

The strike began with the nurses' shift change at 7 a.m. Tuesday. Many of the striking nurses spent Tuesday and Wednesday carrying signs and waving at traffic on U.S. 93 just outside Logan Health Medical Center, formerly Kalispell Regional Medical Center.

The nurses have been negotiating for a contract since they unionized as SEIU Healthcare 1199NW in July 2019, calling for increased staffing, reinstating a charge nurse on every unit, a nurse staffing committee, and improvements to wages, benefits and staff retention.

"We don’t want to strike, but we'll do what we have to for our patients," Donna Nelson, a registered nurse in behavioral health, said in a statement. "We can’t remain silent while our sensible contract proposals are ignored and while Logan Health management tries to break our union."

Hospital officials have said more than 150 nurses offered to work during the strike, with former employees, physicians and nurse practitioners volunteering to pitch in with nursing duties as needed.

In an email Wednesday, Logan Health spokesman Chris Leopold said the hospital "is fully staffed and fully operational, and patients are receiving normal and appropriate care." He added, "We want to thank our wonderful and committed teams throughout the system who have helped make sure there was no disruption to patient care."

After a community rally planned for 6 p.m. Thursday in Kalispell's Depot Park, the nurses union plans to return to work at 7 a.m. Friday.

Assistant editor Chad Sokol may be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected].