Associated Press, April 9, 2011 Union nurses at University of Chicago Medical Center will vote next week on whether to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike if necessary. Lead negotiator Jan Rodolfo of National Nurses United says voting will be Tuesday and Wednesday in a tent set up on city parkland near the hospital. Contract negotiations have been under way since August between the union and the city's premier South Side hospital. Rodolfo says nurses want to send a strong message that they're serious about fighting for better staffing levels. Hospital officials have said University of Chicago's nurse staffing levels are consistently ranked high compared to other hospitals. University of Chicago's nearly 1,300 registered nurses have been represented by National Nurses United since last June. Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved.