Members of the California Nurses Association are set to begin a seven-day strike Feb. 19 at USC Keck Hospital and Norris Cancer Center in Los Angeles.
The union represents more than 1,400 nurses at both University of Southern California facilities, according to a CNA news release. USC Keck Hospital and Norris Cancer Center are part of Keck Medicine of USC, the university’s medical enterprise.
Union members voted to authorize a strike in January. Keck and Norris nurses have been in negotiations with management since May for a new labor contract. In a statement shared with Becker’s, Keck Medicine of USC said both parties agreed in November to work with a federal mediator to try to come to an agreement.
“After two productive sessions with the mediator, the parties reached a tentative agreement that included generous wage increases, availability of a no-premium health plan for nurses and an increase in resource nurse staff to help support nurses’ ability to rest and recharge during their shifts, among other improvements,” the statement said.
The tentative agreement was not ratified.
The union contends that during negotiations there has been little to no movement on key issues such as patient safety, and nurse retention and recruitment. “The RNs urge management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides affordable, comprehensive healthcare coverage for employees and their families, improved staffing resource hours that meet the needs of patient safety [and] improved retention measures to reduce turnover and protect continuity of care,” CNA said in the release.
“We remain committed to negotiating in good faith and look forward to collaborative discussions with CNA to reach agreements that are fair, provide competitive pay and benefits, and reflect our dedication and support of our staff,” the spokesperson for Keck Medicine of USC said.
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