Birmingham, Alabama – On Monday night, numerous night-shift workers at University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital gathered outside in protest to fight for fair wages and better working conditions.

A group of emergency room nurses and hospital staff at UAB Hospital momentarily refused to clock in for their shift on Monday night, citing the need for fair pay.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have been putting in longer hours on the front lines to help combat the crisis.

In Birmingham, it has reached a breaking point.

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"The Covid pandemic and recent Delta variant surge have stressed the healthcare system and put tremendous pressure on our staff – including nurses on the front lines," UAB Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Terri Poe said in a statement released to Advance Local. "We are aware of our nurses’ concerns and are working to address them ... Our community can help us support our nurses and all our employees by wearing masks and getting vaccinated."

Lindsey Harris, president of the Alabama State Nurses Association, said that Alabama nurses are paid 8% less than their counterparts in surrounding states.

"Nurses are tired. This is definitely a cry for help," she added.

Videos shared to social media by various local news sites show a handful of nurses and other healthcare workers gathered outside UAB Hospital, clad in scrubs and face masks.

The protest was short-lived: After about two hours, the approximately 20 employees returned to work.

Several nurses who were interviewed by local news station WVTM 13 ensured that their patients were being cared for by other nurses and staff from the day shift, who stayed late while they briefly protested.

"We are extremely overwhelmed, we are just extremely defeated," they said.

While it doesn't appear that any immediate deals have been made to fairly compensate nurses since the protest, Poe confirmed that conversations between hospital staff and leadership were ongoing.