Last-minute negotiations failed for a third time early Monday morning between Providence-based healthcare system Lifespan and healthcare union workers in the midst of a planned 3 p.m. strike.

United Nurses and Allied Health Professionals Local 5098 rejected the contract proposal from Providence-based healthcare company Lifespan early Monday morning.

The Rhode Island healthcare workers strike is planned to end on July 26 at 3 p.m. Negotiations between Lifespan and the union are scheduled to continue while the strike is underway.

“This is a difficult day for all of us,” said UNAP Local 5098 president Frank Sims in a press release. “Lifespan is a broken system where wealthy executives make millions and front line caregivers are ordered to do more with less, and until that changes, patient care will continue to be adversely impacted.”

Lifespan officials have planned for the strikes at Rhode Island and Hasbro Children’s hospitals for weeks, hiring temporary workers costing at least $10 million to cover needs at the facilities.

The Department of Health activated an “incident command center” to monitor staffing levels, patient care and possible surges due to patient diversions to other hospitals, director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott said in a Monday morning press conference.

“Rhode Island Hospital’s emergency department will continue to accept all walk-ins,” Alexander-Scott said. “However, EMS throughout the state will only be transporting trauma, burn, cardiac and respiratory arrest and pediatric cases to the Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro’s hospital EDs. [EMS] will transport other patients to the other hospitals [EDs] throughout the state.”

You can view live coverage of the ongoing strikes from the Twitter feed below. This story will be updated as it develops.

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