Nurses at Riverside Community Hospital, West Hills Hospital and Medical Center and Los Robles Health System have authorized a 10-day strike since Christmas Eve on charges of unfair labor practices and failure to protect staff during the pandemic. of coronavirus.
Now, the union, SEIU 121RN, has agreed to a new contract, according to a Healthcare Corp. spokesman. of America, Far West Division, which operates the three facilities.
“This is a positive development for our colleagues, patients, fellow health care providers and the communities we serve,” the company said. “We appreciate the community leaders who put the needs of the communities first in the last week and expressed concern about the planned strikes.”
The union confirmed that the interim agreement had been reached, but noted that it had yet to be voted on by full members, expected on 22 and 23 December.
The union said the two sides had spent more than 100 hours in talks on December 11th.
“We managed to get some strong pandemic safety guarantees in our union contract – we could be one of the first healthcare unions in the country to get such strong language in our contract,” said Kerry Cavazos, a nurse at Riverside and chairman of the union chapter at the hospital. Nurses and licensed professionals have been willing to strike for this – even during a pandemic – to make sure our hospitals are better prepared for public health crises.
The timing of the planned strike has raised concerns from doctors and hospital administrators who are struggling with an influx of patients during COVID-19 growth. Many Southern California hospitals report that they are at or near their maximum capacity, especially in their intensive care units.
A group of doctors who practice at these three hospitals and who do not normally intervene in labor disputes have taken the unusual step of sending a note urging nurses to reconsider the timing of the strike.
“It’s unusual, but it shows that this is an unusual time,” said Dr. Steven Kim of Riverside Community Hospital. “It is a critical moment and we felt so strong that without our breastfeeding partners, patients’ lives would undoubtedly be in danger.”
The union authorized a strike after expressing concern that staffing levels are inadequate and that insufficient measures have been taken to protect nurses during the coronavirus pandemic. They said there was a lack of protective equipment, insufficient tests and cases of patients who had not been previously infected with COVID-19 while in hospital.
Last week, the nurses’ union said two Riverside staff members died “and dozens became ill, spreading the disease to co-workers and possibly otherwise uninfected patients.”
The HCA said hospitals are working to protect the health of patients and staff. The company’s statement on Saturday said: “Throughout the negotiation process, our hospitals have continued to put the health and well-being of our colleagues and patients first, and we will continue to do so as we collectively fight the pandemic that brings so much. pain our communities. “
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