"In a statement addressing the lockout decision, Ascension contends that it is contractually required to commit to a minimum of four days of work for temp nurses. (If Ascension is implying that they had no choice in the matter, that is questionable. Though they did not respond to specific Chronicle questions, presumably Ascension would have had a hand in writing any temp contract, or in picking an agency whose existing contract they preferred.)"
"Ascension also calls the strike "disconcerting and disappointing, given that there have only been eight bargaining sessions" and an initial bargaining agreement "can take well over a year to complete." Nurses say management has been unwilling to budge on the main priority of comprehensive staffing, though they've conceded a couple of "small wins," including bonuses for certain units. "Every time I read that [Ascension statement], I get super angry," says Gonzalez. "They've had every opportunity to work on a contract that's mutually beneficial, and they haven't."
https://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2023-06-23/ascension-to-lock-nurses-out-for-days-after-one-day-strike/