🪧 UnityPoint-Health Meriter nurses strike

📣 Meriter Nurses Begin Strike

• Roughly 1,000 UnityPoint-Health Meriter went on strike Tuesday. The nurses plan to picket outside the hospital at 202 S. Park St. over the next week.
• Some context: The nurses’ union has been negotiating with the hospital since January. The workers are fighting for increased pay and heightened safety measures. The two parties are set to meet again May 29 for another round of negotiations. [News 3]

🏡 Far East Side Hotel Converted into Apartments

• The Super 8 motel on Hayes Road, known for frequent police calls in its 37-year run, has been transformed into Sandburg Studios, a 129-unit apartment community available starting June.
• Despite initial community concerns about the high crime rate at the hotel and “not even livable” building conditions, the project includes renovations aimed at fostering community, such as a dog run, bike storage, a fitness center, a pool, and a community space.
• Sandburg Studios units range between $975 and $1,125 per month. Some units were designed for shorter-term leases to attract people looking for temporary housing, such as travel nurses. [Wisconsin State Journal 🔐]

🍟 State Republicans Push ‘Junk Food’ Bans

• Republican lawmakers are proposing bills to restrict low-income residents with FoodShare benefits from buying “junk food,” such as soda and candy.
• The lead author, Rep. Clint Moses, a Republican from Menomonie, says the goal is to help children and others eat healthy food, and proposed restrictions would be similar to restrictions in place for Women, Infants & Children beneficiaries. But experts say FoodShare is designed to supplement income for food, whereas WIC is already a targeted nutrition program.
• Experts also argue restrictions could stigmatize participants, and fail to improve health outcomes or reduce food insecurity. [Wisconsin Examiner]

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

It’s located inside the Robin Room! (Also, if you look inside, you may or may not see a City Cast Madison sticker on the wall!)

🎉 Congratulations to Ginger B., Kate L., and Addy B. for being the first three people to guess right!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Can you guess where this mural is located? A few clues:

• It’s in a business on Willy Street
• It’s the kind of business that benefits from all three professions listed on the mural
• Don’t be “sour” if you can’t guess it!