Nurses at Alameda (Calif.) Hospital and San Leandro (Calif.) Hospital, both part of the Alameda Health System, picketed April 3 to raise awareness about contract talks, according to a Bay City News report published by patch.com.
The informational picketing came amid talks between the community hospitals and the California Nurses Association.
Nurses are protesting to draw attention to issues that affect safe patient care and safe staffing, union officials said in a news release.
"We are very concerned about the future of our community, our patients and the nurses who work for the health system. What AHS is failing to see is what is going on at the ground level: Units are consistently short-staffed; patients are waiting for long periods of time without getting a bed; and nurses are burned out by the unbearable workload," said San Leandro emergency room registered nurse Raychel Cooke.
Negotiations between nurses and hospital management have been going on for five months, and the union said nurses are not pleased with the progress of the talks.
Alameda Health System said it remains confident an agreement can be reached.
"We are confident that the bargaining process will result in an agreement that provides nurses at Alameda and San Leandro hospitals with competitive salaries and benefits and ensures our ability to meet the needs of those we serve in a sustainable manner," health system spokesperson Terry Lightfoot told Bay City News.
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