Kapi‘olani Medical Center nurses vote to go on strike again
CRAIG T. KOJIMA / JAN. 21
Unionized nurses at Kapi’olani Medical Center voted this weekend to authorize their second strike this year. They must give management 10-days notice before hitting the picket lines. Shown here, the Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents the Kapi’olani workers, strikes on the first day of a weeklong strike in January.
Nurses at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children this weekend have voted to authorize a strike for the second time this year.
The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents 600 Kapi‘olani nurses, said Sunday night that its members voted by an overwhelming majority to give the union the green light to call for a walkout if a contract cannot be reached with Hawaii Pacific Health, which operates Kapi‘olani.
Negotiations for a new contract, which began Sept. 13, are approaching the one-year mark.
Nurses and hospital management continue to disagree primarily over staff-to-patient ratios. A federal mediator had been working with the two parties, but has since left the negotiations.
“The sentiment and frustration level of the nurses came through loud and clear in the vote,” HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu said in a statement. “The retaliation for speaking the truth and exposing unsafe staffing issues has become unbearable. We will not be silenced. The strike will expose Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s unfair labor practices and culture of retaliation, intimidation and bullying to all in the community.”
Many HNA nurses say they have been burdened with too many patients at one time, sometimes without adequate training, and that these ratios must be in place for patient safety, while management says it needs the flexibility to respond to changing situations as they arise.
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Gidget Ruscetta, chief operating officer for Kapi‘olani Medical Center, said she was disappointed by the union vote but optimistic that an agreement could be reached.
“While the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association’s decision is disappointing, we value our nurses and are committed to moving forward together,” Ruscetta said in a statement. “We have a negotiation session scheduled with the union this Thursday, Sept. 5, and want to reach an agreement so our nurses can benefit from a new contract.”
The union is required to give HPH 10-days notice before it begins to strike. HNA officials said they now will determine the date and duration of the strike.
The nurses held a weeklong strike from Jan. 21-28 before resuming negotiations. Kapi‘olani nurses have worked without a contract since December.
The voting window began at 10 a.m. Friday and closed at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Besides its previous strike, HNA has held a number of informational pickets, and have joined forces with union nurses at The Queen’s Health System, who are also negotiating a new contract.
