Sutter Health RNs to Hold Second Strike, Dec. 13-14 Walkout by 5,000 RNs at 13 Hospitals

Registered nurses at 13 Bay Area Sutter Health hospitals will hold their second two-day strike Thursday, December 13 and Friday, December 14, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee announced today.

Strike notices are being sent today to some of the biggest hospitals in the region, including California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, and Mills-Peninsula Health system in Burlingame and San Mateo.

The decision for the next strike follows overwhelming votes by Sutter RNs in membership meetings held at all the affected hospitals authorizing a new walkout. RNs at two of the hospitals, Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa and San Leandro Hospital are voting today, notices for those two hospitals are pending approval by the nurses.

Since the first strike that occurred October 10-11, contract talks have been held at most of the hospitals. But while some progress occurred on local issues at selected sites, a wide gap remains on the central areas in dispute that affect all 13 hospitals – safe staffing at all times, improved retirement security, and secure health benefits for the RNs.

The RNs will also continue to protest Sutter’s plans to close St. Luke’s hospital in San Francisco, San Leandro, and Sutter Santa Rosa.

“Sutter seems unable to recognize how seriously the nurses take our commitment to our patients and our communities. The Sutter RNs and our entire organization stand united behind our campaign for safe patient care, security for the RNs, and continuation of needed medical services for the patients and communities Sutter is threatening to abandon,” said Zenei Cortez, RN, representing CNA/NNOC’s Council of Presidents.

“Sutter nurses are first and foremost patient advocates,” said Alta Bates Summit RN Efren Garza. “As patient advocates, now is our time to stand up and force Sutter Health to ensure that every patient, in every hospital, receives the quality of care they deserve.  It’s unfortunate that this has to come about through a strike, but it is the only way to force Sutter to do the right thing.”

At present, negotiations are scheduled Monday, December 3 at California Pacific. No additional negotiations are scheduled for any of the other facilities. Two of the hospitals, Sutter Delta in Antioch and Sutter Solano in Vallejo have refused to hold any additional negotiations.

“The overwhelming majority of RNs at Sutter Solano voted to strike Sutter Health for a second time,” said Sherry Ramsey, a Sutter Solano RN. “We flat out reject Sutter’s inadequate contract offers.  The facility has been vindictive to our nurses, and is now insulting us with a contract offer that does not meet our needs or respect our profession.  Nurses have no other option other than to strike, as Sutter has no intention of returning to the table and withdrawing their offer.”

“Sutter Nurses are united across the region because these issues are too important to let go.  Sutter is trying to dump patients it doesn’t like, and cut corners on the patients it does like,” said Bob Auen, an RN at Eden Hospital in Castro Valley. “They’re going after our healthcare, our pension, our livelihood.  We are 5,000 nurses, a strong coalition, and we will stay united.”

The strike will also involve RNs at Sutter Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, and Sutter Novato, and members of the CNA/NNOC-affiliated Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union, representing respiratory, X-ray, and other technical workers at Alta Bates Summit.