Mar 02 2011
Kaiser Nurses Strike for Better Conditions
Over 1000 Kaiser Permanente nurses began a 24-hour strike this morning at 6am, the first by any Kaiser workers in over 13 years. Union contract negotiations between the health care behemoth and the National Union of Health care Workers at LA’s Sunset Boulevard hospital are at an impasse. The union is bargaining for a comprehensive contract but the NUHW says a major sticking-point is patient-to-staff ratios. Under the current contract nurses say patients are put in jeopardy because rules governing patient-to-staff ratios are unenforceable. They say one consequence is that patients in critical condition are sometimes assigned nurses without adequate training and experience. Kaiser is split regionally, with autonomous management units in Northern and Southern California. In northern California, Kaiser negotiated a three-year contract with the California Nurses Association that was just approved on February 10th. That contract included a pay-raise and enforceable staff-to-patient ratios. Here in Southern California, nurses are saying if Kaiser refuses similar terms, it is creating a two-tier system that puts Southern California patients at a disadvantage. In 1990 nurses at the Sunset facility went on strike for 3 months over wages and working conditions. Today’s 24 hour strike by nurses will include rallies at noon and at 4 pm in front of the Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center. There will be a picket and march. By law healthcare workers unions are required to give their hospitals a 10-day notice of any strike so as not to jeopardize patient care. NUHW gave Kaiser 2 weeks to prepare.
GUEST: Irma Duffelmeier, Registered nurse and 24 year veteran at Kaiser Permanente. She also participated in the 3-month strike in 1990.
Kaiser nurses will rally during their 24 hour strike on Wednesday, March 2, at noon and 4 pm at the Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, 4867 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles.
5 Responses to “Kaiser Nurses Strike for Better Conditions”
I know it is true what these nurses are going threw, I am a LVN that was working at the Riverside Kaiser, they had us working short, especially around flu season, and they didn’t care about how stressed out we were. They began putting fear in all employees, on firing, they did fire a lot of nurses, and many employees from other jobs within Kaiser, 7600 is not for the Kaiser Employees. I lost my job and they didn’t defend me properly like they should of. I had 19 years working for them, that didn’t mean nothing to them, so I hope these RN’s get what they are asking, and Kaiser doesn’t get away with what they are trying to do. Shame on Kaiser!!!!!!
Hello y’all Kaiser nurses are the best paid in the business. We’re talking $50 plus an hour. We’re in the middle of a recession and they want better benefits so they cry and moan and go on strike. How dare they! I forgot they pay sqaut for their health ins ($5 a month). To me Kaiser nurses are just a bunch of cry babies relying on the union to get them greedy personnel more money and benefits. Shame on all these employees!!!
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