Members of the California Nurses Association are set to strike Oct. 30 at six Tenet Healthcare hospitals in California: San Ramon Medical Center, Doctors Hospital of Manteca, Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Turlock-based Emanuel Medical Center, Palm Springs-based Desert Regional Medical Center and Joshua Tree-based Hi-Desert Medical Center.
The union represents about 3,100 nurses at the facilities, according to a CNA news release. Dallas-based Tenet employs approximately 100,000 workers across facilities nationwide.
Union members voted to authorize a strike in September. CNA and Tenet have been in contract negotiations since February, according to the union.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Tenet said it has been “negotiating in good faith with the union to reach a new contract and even proposed to the union that the parties engage in a mediation to attempt to resolve any differences. Rather than engage in productive mediation and negotiations, the union provided us with its intent to strike.”
The union said nurses are seeking guaranteed meal and rest break coverage, improvements to recruitment and retention of experienced nurses, and lift teams to help with turning and lifting patients. They also seek “safe staffing at all times. When there are not adequate nurses and ancillary staff on a unit, patient care is delayed, which can lead to harm for our patients.”
“Our focus will now shift to ensuring that patients will continue to receive the high-quality care they are accustomed to during the strike, and we stand ready to resume good faith negotiations at the strike’s conclusion,” Tenet said.
