4,000 RNs at 8 Sutter Hospitals To Strike Over Patient Care Problems
10-Day Strike Begins TODAY—Major Events at Summit, CPMC, Mills-Peninsula
Some 4,000 registered nurses at eight Bay Area facilities will begin a 10-day strike against Sutter Health today over serious problems with patient care, medical redlining, and healthcare for nurses, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee reports. RNs will walk the picket line through Sunday, March 30. A full schedule is below, with events today beginning at 7 a.m. at all facilities, and a major noon rally at Summit Medical Center in Oakland that will feature local community, political, and labor leaders.
At the same time, 500 RNs from Fremont-Rideout Health Group in Yuba City and Marysville will embark on a one-day strike of their own. Indicative of management’s hostile attitude to their nurses, the RNs will be locked out for an additional ten days.
Thousands of RNs have struck Sutter facilities twice already, though this is the first 10-day strike. 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 hospitals in medically underserved areas (St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco and San Leandro Hospital), and their refusal to agree to fair settlements on issues of healthcare and retiree healthcare and pensions.
“Sutter cannot expect RNs to sit idly by and watch the ongoing problems with patient care and patient safety at our hospitals. When there are not enough nurses, patients are put at risk, period. We don’t want to strike, but our ethical obligation as patient advocates demands it,” added Sharon Tobin, an RN at Mills-Peninsula Hospital.
“Sutter has responded to our patient care concerns with a campaign of harassment, intimidation, and lies, but nurses cannot and will not compromise on patient safety,” added Jan Rodolfo, an RN as Summit Medical Center.
Following in a general schedule, with media events underlined; details will be sent out each day:
- Friday March 21, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.: RNs picket every facility. Kickoff event 7 am, Summit Medical Center, and major rally 12 noon Summit Medical Center
- Saturday March 22, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.: “Family Day” on the picket line, with kids’ activities, facepainting, BBQ. Major rally, 12 noon, California Pacific Medical Center, California campus
- Easter Sunday, March 23, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Community and family events at all picket lines
- Monday March 24 through Sunday March 30, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Picketing at all facilities, noon rallies at all facilities.
- Monday March 24, 5:30 p.m.: New Orleans-style Funeral Procession to St. Luke’s with local elected officials; starts at St. Anthony Church, 3215 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco, and continues to St. Luke’s
- Wednesday March 26, 5:30 p.m.: Candlelight vigil, San Leandro Hospital with local elected officials
- Sunday, March 30, 12 Noon: Major rally at CPMC with elected officials
- Monday March 31, 7 am—Nurses return to work
Picket line addresses:
Sutter Delta Medical Center--3901 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Peninsula Campus--1501 Trousdale Dr., Burlingame
Mills-Peninsula Health Services, Mills Campus--100 South San Mateo Drive, San Mateo
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Berkeley Campus--2450 Ashby Ave., Berkeley
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Herrick Campus--2001 Dwight Way, Berkeley
Alta Bates Summit, Oakland Campus--350 Hawthorne, Oakland
Eden Medical Center--20103 Lake Chabot Rd., Castro Valley
San Leandro Hospital--13855 East 14th St., San Leandro
St. Luke’s Hospital--3555 Cesar Chavez St., San Francisco
California Pacific Medical Center--3700 California St., San Francisco
Sutter Solano Medical Center--300 Hospital Drive, Vallejo
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