Members of the California Nurses Association are set to begin a nine-day strike Dec. 24 at Sutter Health's Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, which has campuses in Oakland and Berkeley.
The union represents 1,800 nurses at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center campuses, according to a Dec. 14 California Nurses Association news release shared with Becker's. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center is part of Sacramento-based Sutter Health, which includes more than 20 hospitals.
Union members issued a strike notice amid contract negotiations, which have been ongoing since June 2021. A Sutter Health spokesperson told Becker's in a statement Dec. 13 that during negotiations, the union has sought "an unsustainable wage increase of 40 percent." The spokesperson said Sutter Health's latest offer includes a minimum 22.4 percent pay increase over four years in addition to any applicable step increases; continued employer-paid health coverage for nurses and their families; and comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans/measures, among other provisions.
The union contends that hospital administration has refused to address nurses' concerns about working conditions, continuing education and benefits.
Nurses plan to strike from 7 a.m. Dec. 24 until 6:59 a.m. Jan. 2. A strike could be averted if both sides reach an agreement.
If the strike occurs as planned, it will be the union's third walkout this year, according to Sutter Health.