Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center And San Leandro Hospital RNs Vote Overwhelmingly To Authorize 10-day Strike Against Sutter

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 05 Mar 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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In the face of what they describe as a "hostile" bargaining attitude by Sutter Health, RNs from Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center and San Leandro Hospital voted overwhelmingly yesterday to authorize their bargaining teams to strike the hospital chain for up to ten days over serious issues of patient safety and patient care, as well as healthcare for nurses, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee reports today.

Support for the walkout was overwhelming at both facilities, with ABSMC setting records for turn-out and 'yes' votes. These two facilities join RNs from California Pacific Medical Center and Sutter Solano in authorizing the strike. Nurses from the other seven facilities are voting this week.

5,000 RNs have walked out of 11 Sutter facilities twice already. The key reason for the walkouts is the pattern of patient safety risks caused by Sutter's refusal to schedule RNs to care for patients when nurses are on legally-mandated meal or rest breaks. Such scheduling gaps leave patients unattended and at risk for sentinel events. Nurses are also concerned over Sutter's practice of 'medical redlining' by closing three hospitals in medically-underserved areas (St. Luke's Hospital in San Francisco, San Leandro Hospital, and Sutter Santa Rosa Medical Center), and their refusal to agree to fair settlements on issues of healthcare and retiree healthcare and pensions.

"Sutter should by trying to make sure its patients are guaranteed safe nursing care at all times. Instead, they are digging in their heels, looking to fight nurses tooth and nail, and at my facility are even embarking on retaliation campaigns against nurses," said Jan Rodolfo, an RN at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and the elected secretary of the CNA board.

"San Leandro nurses showed yesterday that we are more resolved than ever to fight for our patients and for the future of our hospital. Our overwhelming strike authorization vote should send a signal to Sutter Health that RNs are willing to do whatever it takes to put patients first," said Jeanine Chatman, an RN at San Leandro Hospital.

Patient Care Problems Key to Dispute

The key area of dispute is patient care protections. Sutter has rejected the nurses' proposal for a dedicated meal-and-break relief RN as well as for trained lift teams available 24 hours a day to protect patients from falls and nurses from back injuries. Another important concern is a proposal that all patients are assigned directly to an RN.

Sutter RNs are also incensed by the chain's attempt at most facilities to cut back healthcare benefits and attempt to shift cost, premiums, and fees onto the nurses, both those currently working and retirees. Sutter RNs note that other hospitals, such as Kaiser Permanente, in a very competitive market during a nursing shortage, offer much better retirement medical benefits and as a result find it easier to recruit and retain nurses.

Hospitals Affected

Sutter hospitals affected are St. Luke's Hospital and California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, San Leandro Hospital, Alta Bates-Summit Medical Center in Berkeley and Oakland, Mills-Peninsula Health Services in Burlingame and San Mateo, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, Sutter Delta in Antioch, Sutter Solano in Vallejo, Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa, Sutter Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, and Sutter Novato.

California Nurses Association

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