Members of the United Nurses and Health Care Employees of Hawaii are set to begin a strike Nov. 4 at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Maui; Kula Hospital; and Lanai Community Hospital, which are all part of Maui Health.
Five things to know:
1. The union represents approximately 950 healthcare workers, including nurses, technicians, clerks, pharmacists and other administrative and support staff at Maui Health facilities, according to a news release shared with Becker's. UNHCEH is a chapter of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.
Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente operates five clinics on Maui, while Maui Health, a nonprofit subsidiary of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, manages three community hospitals and outpatient services on Maui and Lanai as part of a public-private partnership with the state.
2. Union members voted to authorize a strike over the weekend of Oct. 12-13. UNHCEH began bargaining for a new contract with Maui Health and Kaiser in July.
A statement from Maui Health, shared with Becker's, said the goal in negotiations remains to reach a deal "that provides our employees with market-competitive wages and benefits while ensuring we can continue to provide our community access to the high-quality health care they need and deserve."
3. The union contends that during bargaining, Maui Health/Kaiser Permanente has opposed workers' proposal for identical safe RN-to-patient ratios, which Kaiser agreed to in its contract covering RNs in California.
"We want to provide the best medical care we can. I've had nurses tell me they feel like they need two of themselves. I've had patients who told me, 'I love the care that I’m getting, but the nurses are working so hard, with all these patients,'" China Kapuras, a Hawaii native and military veteran who works at MMMC as case manager specialist, said in the release.
4. "We believe the best place to resolve our differences and reach an agreement is at the bargaining table," Maui Health's statement said. "And we remain committed to continuing to bargain in good faith to reach a mutually beneficial agreement to avoid a strike."
5. Bargaining sessions are scheduled for Oct. 25-26. If a strike occurs as planned, it will begin Nov. 4 and end when workers return to their jobs on Nov. 7.