CPMC RNs Vote Overwhelmingly to Authorize 10-day Strike Against Sutter

Nurses Concerned Over Serious, Ongoing Patient Care Problems Throughout System

5,000 Nurses at 11 Facilities to Vote to Authorize Strike

In the face of what they describe as a “hostile” bargaining attitude by Sutter Health, RNs from the California Pacific Medical Center 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.  Nurses at CPMC have now voted twice to reject the “last, best, and final” offer given by Sutter in September, which has not changed at all despite significant movement by nurses at the bargaining table.

5,000 RNs have walked out of 11 Sutter facilities twice already.  They are all in the process of voting to authorize a third strike, and CPMC nurses joined Sutter Solano nurses with their overwhelming yes vote.  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. 

“CPMC nurses have stayed united to vote to reject Sutter’s inadequate proposals a second time, despite an aggressive union-busting campaign based on threats, rumors of retaliation, and CPMC CEO Martin Brotman’s stated refusal to negotiate ,” said Eileen Prendiville, an RN at CPMC and a member of CNA’s bargaining team.

“Sutter is not adequately staffing its units to ensure patient safety or appropriate care,” said Genel Morgan, an RN at Mills-Peninsula Health Services and a board member of CNA. “This is no way to run a hospital system.  Nurses are concerned over the quality of care our patients are receiving, and we will protect them.”

"Sutter engages in ‘medical redlining’ by attempting to close hospitals because they have a medically-underserved patient population.  The people who go to St. Luke’s Hospital, Sutter Santa Rosa, and San Leandro deserve to be treated the same as patients from fancier areas," said Jane Sandoval, an RN at St. Luke’s 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.