New negotiations between San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare and its union nurses are scheduled for Oct. 14 as both sides work toward a three-year contract.
A key sticking point in the dispute revolves around nurse wages. Nurses are asking for a 31 percent pay raise over the term of the next contract, while Sharp is offering a 16 to 26 percent pay raise over the contract term. The system’s proposed raise would be based on a nurses' experience, advancement and academic degree earned, Sharp officials said.
CBS 8 reports that nurses rallied Thursday morning, claiming they're "overworked, underpaid and have high turnover."
Sharp, for its part, maintains that the system's 2015 nurse turnover rates are lower than San Diego, Southern California and state turnover averages. The system also noted in a fact sheet about its latest offer that nurse wages, prior to the proposed increase, were above San Diego averages.
The nurses, who are working without contracts, have been in negotiation talks since July, according to CBS 8.
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