Registered nurses plan to hold an informational picketing event May 28 outside eight California hospitals owned by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, the union representing them announced.
The event will affect 3,733 members of the California Nurses Association, which is affiliated with National Nurses United.
The nurses, who are in ongoing contract negotiations, are urging management to invest in nursing staff to improve the recruitment and retention of experienced RNs, and ensure quality patient care, union officials said in a news release.
Union officials said nurses intend to picket at California facilities in Modesto, San Ramon, Turlock, Los Alamitos, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, Templeton and San Luis Obispo.Unionized nurses also plan to picket May 28 at Tenet hospitals in Arizona, Florida and Texas.
Tenet expressed disappointment about the picketing plans.
"The hospitals will be fully operational and our staff's focus, as always, will be on providing exceptional quality patient care," Todd Burke, communications director for Tenet's California hospitals, said in a statement to Becker's.
"We are disappointed that the union is taking this approach. We have made progress toward a new contract with the union and will continue to negotiate in good faith in hopes of reaching a successful resolution," he added.
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