Registered nurses and other healthcare workers at 15 Sutter Health hospitals in Northern California intend to strike on April 18 to call for safe staffing and health and safety protections, according to the unions that represent them.
The strike affects healthcare employees at the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center campuses, as well as nurses at other Sutter Health facilities. The nurses are members of the California Nurses Association, and the other workers are members of the Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union, an affiliate of the California Nurses Association.
Workers authorized a strike in March, and union officials announced an official strike notice on April 8.
"We are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of PPE supplies and contact tracing. They resist having nurses directly involved in planning and implementation of policies that affect all of us during a pandemic," Renee Waters, RN, a trauma neuro intensive care nurse, said in a news release.
"We must address these issues and more. 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," she said.
Nurses have been in contract negotiations since last June. They have scheduled picketing at:
- Sutter Solano Medical Center (Vallejo)
- Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital
- Sutter Coast Hospital (Crescent City)
- Sutter Tracy Community Hospital
- California Pacific Medical Center (San Francisco)
- Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Berkeley and Oakland)
- Santa Cruz VNA
- Eden Medical Center (Castro Valley)
- Sutter Delta Medical Center (Antioch)
- Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital
- Sutter Roseville Medical Center
- Sutter Lakeside Hospital (Lakeport)
- Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame)
- Novato Community Hospital
- Sutter Center for Psychiatry (Sacramento)
In a statement shared with Becker's, Sutter Health said, "Sutter Health is consistently recognized as one of the region's best employers and a leader in providing safe, high-quality care for more than 3 million patients. We value and invest in our caregivers, and our offers to the union — including generous wage increases that exceed those in the region — reflect that commitment. Our proposals remain unanswered while the union threatens costly and disruptive work stoppages. We are hopeful CNA will see the value in working together to reach an agreement that recognizes our employees for their important work while maintaining the strength and stability of our hospitals for all who depend upon us."