Members of the California Nurses Association are set to strike Sept. 6 at Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital.
The union represents more than 250 nurses at the hospital, according to information from the hospital and union. Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey Hospital is part of Cedars-Sinai, a nonprofit academic healthcare organization based in Los Angeles.
Union members voted to authorize a strike earlier this summer. The union and hospital began negotiating a new labor contract in March. Cedars-Sinai's statement shared with Becker's says that during negotiations, the hospital presented "highly competitive contract offers that reward the skill, talent and dedication of our represented registered nurses while securing their long-term future as our hospital grows."
The union contends that in bargaining, Cedars-Sinai Marina del Rey failed to adequately address critical nurse recruitment and retention issues. "Right now, it is not uncommon to see temporary contract nurses outnumber staff RNs on a unit. We know the best nursing care comes from permanent staff RNs who understand best the needs of our community and are fierce advocates for their patients," Sophia Sabido, RN, said in an Aug. 29 union release.
"While we respect the right of our represented registered nurses to participate in a strike, we strongly believe these kinds of activities distract from important work that can be done only through constructive discussions at the bargaining table," Cedars-Sinai said in its statement. "We have already reached agreement on many mutually important topics."
The statement added that the hospital is prepared to remain fully open and operational during the strike and has arranged for supplemental nurses to cover for any employed nurses who choose to strike.