Members of United Nurses of Children's Hospital Local 1699 are set to begin a two-day strike July 22 at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, KUSI reported.
The union represents more than 1,600 nurses at Rady Children's, a UNOCH spokesperson confirmed to Becker's. Rady Children's has about 6,000 employees total.
Union members voted to authorize a strike earlier this month. The hospital and union began negotiating a new labor contract in May, according to KUSI. In a statement shared with Becker's, Rady Children's said it "continues to negotiate in good faith with UNOCH to reach agreement on a fair contract for our registered nurses."
The union contends that during negotiations, the hospital has been unwilling to offer fair pay and benefits, "driving away experienced nurses and making it difficult to recruit new talent."
The strike could still be called off if both sides reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Rady Children's has contracted with a professional staffing agency to provide nurses during the strike.