Doctors Urge Nurses in Southern California Not to Go on Strike as Infections Rise
Things are getting tense in southern California, where thousands of nurses are scheduled to go on strike during the holidays. This comes as the area continues to break COVID-19 records in terms of new infections and hospitalizations. The coronavirus pandemic has pushed many nurses and healthcare facilities to the breaking point, prompting a number of high-profile nursing strikes across the country. Some hospitals are saying they can’t afford to lose their staff during the ongoing public health crisis.
A Memo Urging Caution
The Southern California’s Nurses Union, which represents over 2,000 healthcare workers across the region, says it plans to go on strike from December 24th to January 3rd over poor working conditions and an ongoing lack of PPE, after issuing managers a 10-day strike notice. The proposed strike would include registered nurses from Riverside Community Hospital, Los Robles Regional
Nurses at two hospitals in the Valley region have called a 10-day strike from Dec. 24 to Jan. 3 to protest unfair labor practices.
The two facilities – Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and West Hills Hospital and Medical Center – are owned by Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America, or HCA. Members of the Southern California Registered Nurse Union gave the company advanced notice to bring in temporary replacement staff in light of the pandemic, Service Employees International Union 121 said.
Negotiations will continue through the advance notice period, the union said, and a federal mediator will be brought on for the process.
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