The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United has planned coinciding strikes on Thursday at three hospitals in the state: Sutter Tracy (Calif.) Community Hospital, Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa Valley and Watsonville (Calif.) Community Hospital.
Nurses at Sutter Tracy Community Hospital will strike for one-day over staffing concerns and health coverage standards. CNA represents 160 RNs at the hospital. In a statement, Joanne Slayter, RN, interim chief nursing executive at Sutter Tracy, called the strike "disruptive" and "particularly unfortunate given the significant progress that has been made at the recent bargaining sessions with a federal mediator." The hospital will maintain full service offerings during the strike.
Nurses at Queen of the Valley are seeking their first collective bargaining agreement as union members. They are going on a one-day strike as the two parties have not been able to reach a contract agreement. Contentious points are staffing levels and health benefits, according to the union. Queen of the Valley is prepared to keep the doors open during the strike.
While the strikes at Sutter Tracy and Queen of the Valley will only last 24 hours, nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital — part of Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems — will be on strike for three days. They are protesting the hospital's request for reductions in health coverage for RNs as well as staffing levels.
A Watsonville spokeswoman told the Contra Costa Times the hospital has a contingency operations plan to stay open during the strike. "As always, our top priority is the care and safety of our patients, employees and visitors whenever such activity may occur," she said.