Fremont-Rideout Nurses To Strike - Nurses Cite Concerns About Quality Patient Care

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 04 Oct 2007 - 5:00 PDT

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Registered nurses at the Fremont-Rideout Health Group announced that they will strike for the second time walkout that would place a spotlight on patient care practices and health security for nurses.

The October 10-11 strike would coincide with the walkout of thousands of nurses at 13 Sutter hospitals, said the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee which represents the RNs.

"FRHG has shown a complete disrespect for the nurses, for the patients that our proposals are written to protect, and for the laws that guarantee the rights of workers to negotiate a fair contract in an atmosphere free of intimidation and harassment," said Heather Avalos, an RN in the Intensive Care Unit at Rideout Memorial Hospital and a member of the CNA nurse negotiating team.

Fremont-Rideout RN Lorrie Hart emphasized that "I want to help my patients, neighbors and families to have a safe medical facility to care for them and that means FRHG has work to do."

CNA has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against FRHG for discrimination and retaliation against union supporters, failing to bargain in good faith and making unilateral changes to work policies without negotiation. "We may need to take action to make Fremont-Rideout follow the law," added Karen Miles, an RN at Fremont-Rideout Cancer Center and a member of the CNA nurse negotiating team.

The NLRB is currently investigating the charges, which are continuing on a daily basis.

Representing some 75,000 RNs in 50 states, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee is the largest and fastest-growing association of direct-care RNs in the nation.

California Nurses Association