More than 1,300 nurses in San Francisco's healthcare system are putting pressure on the city to remedy chronic nurse understaffing, they told the San Francisco Chronicle.
The nurses plan to send a "no confidence" letter to the city public health department on May 30, expressing their dissatisfaction with the way San Francisco has handled the issue, according to the Chronicle report. They said nurses s have had to forgo breaks and work overtime due to understaffing, and the city won't bring in more nurses.
The nurses' letter comes amid contract negotiations.
Nato Green, who is leading negotiations on behalf of the nurses' union, told the Chronicle about 2,100 San Francisco nurses and the city have not reached an agreement over staffing.
Roland Pickens, director of the San Francisco Health Network, stated in a letter to the city's public health department that the city's offer to nurses includes pay increases of 11 percent over three years as well as other improvements, according to the Chronicle.
"We also have made commitments to nurse staffing increases and differential pay for difficult assignments, and are discussing the concerns that nurses have, as we work toward completing the contract negotiations," Mr. Pickens said.
The nurses' contract expires June 30.
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