Sutter nurses plan one-day walkout at 3 Sacramento-area hospitals over staffing, PPE
Nurses and other health care workers at Sutter Health plan a one-day walkout at three Sacramento-area hospitals and 12 others statewide Monday after contract negotiations stalled, union leaders said.
“The Sutter nurses voted for this strike,” said Renee Waters, a registered nurse who works in the intensive care unit “We are striking because Sutter is not transparent about the stockpile of PPE supplies and contact tracing. They resist having nurses directly involved in planning and implementation of policies that affect all of us during a pandemic.”
In a statement issued Tuesday, Sutter Health leaders said: “Our proposals remain unanswered while the union threatens costly and disruptive work stoppages. We are hopeful CNA will see the value in working together to reach an agreement that recognizes our employees for their important work while maintaining the strength and stability of our hospitals for all who depend upon us.
The strike, which will begin at 7 a.m. April 18 and end at 6:59 a.m. April 19, will affect Sutter Roseville Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Drive; Sutter Center for Psychiatry, 7700 Folsom Blvd. in Sacramento; and Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital, 11815 Education St. Nurses at Sutter Sacramento Medical Center are not unionized.
In a news release, the California Nurses Association said its members are fighting to ensure the safe staffing levels they need to care for each patient and to compel their employer to comply with state mandates requiring hospitals to store up a three-month supply of personal protective equipment such as gloves and face masks.
The Sacramento-based company said in its statement that Sutter Health is consistently recognized as a leader in providing safe, high-quality care for more than 3 million patients.
“We value and invest in our caregivers, and our offers to the union — including generous wage increases that exceed those in the region — reflect that commitment,” company leaders said in the statement.
The nurses union represents roughly 1,900 at the three local Sutter hospitals. An affiliate union, the Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union, represents workers planning a strike on the same date at Oakland’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center . Altogether, the two unions have roughly 8500 members at the 15 Sutter facilities that will be picketed.
“We have a moral and legal obligation to advocate for our patients,” Waters said. “We advocate for them at the bedside, at the bargaining table, and if we have to, on the strike line.”
The company and the two unions have been bargaining a new contract since June 2021. Union leaders said the strike vote was nearly unanimous and that they provided the company with early notice of the strike.
This story was originally published April 12, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
