Members of the California Nurses Association are set to strike March 28 at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae, Calif.
The union represents about 600 nurses at the hospital, which is part of MarinHealth, according to a March 17 CNA news release. MarinHealth Medical Center is a 327-bed independent organization owned by Marin Healthcare District.
Union members voted to authorize a strike on March 6. The union and hospital began negotiating a new labor contract in June, according to the CNA news release. MarinHealth CEO David Klein, MD, said in a statement shared with Becker's that hospital administrators have bargained in good faith during negotiations and "will continue active negotiations with the CNA on the remaining few issues, primarily pertaining to compensation and benefits, to see if we can reach an agreement prior to the planned strike date."
The union contends that during bargaining, hospital administration has refused to address nurses' deep concerns about patient care, safe staffing, and retention and recruitment. "A fair contract is needed to retain experienced nurses, have sufficient staffing and training, and ensure we have the resources we need to provide safe and effective care for our patients," Lynn Warner, RN, said in the CNA news release.
"I want to assure our patients that it will be business as usual at MarinHealth should a strike occur," Dr. Klein said. "We will make the necessary arrangements to ensure that there will be absolutely no disruption to the quality or availability of care they are accustomed to receiving."