Registered Nurses at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in Hollister, Ca. will hold a one-day strike on Wednesday, August 24, the California Nurses Association announced today.

There are 120 registered nurses at Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, a public hospital that serves residents of the San Benito County Health District. The district includes two skilled nursing facilities, home health care and several clinics.

"Nurses would prefer not to strike but we must because the board of directors and upper management have refused to address our concerns about the safety and quality of patient care at Hazel Hawkins.  As an emergency room charge nurse, I am used to life and death situations. But working this short-staffed is an unacceptable and completely avoidable condition that as a registered nurse I cannot accept," said Courtney Parrinello, RN, Emergency Department.

What: RNs plan one-day strike, rally and press conference

When: Wednesday, Aug. 24 - Strike begins 6 a.m. Rally at 12 p.m. noon

Where: Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, 911 Sunset Dr., Hollister, Ca. 95023

"We are extremely troubled by the way those entrusted with the safety of our safety-net hospital have chosen to manage patient care dollars," said Parrinello. "Instead of investing in the retention and recruitment of experienced staff to solve the serious under-staffing of nurses and other caregivers, top executives have spent more than $1 million dollars of public funds to hire one of the largest law firms in the nation to advise them on how to slash nursing practice protections that support safe care."

According to nurses, rather than hire adequate permanent staff, Hazel Hawkins management often asks them to work 2, 4, or 6 hours beyond their normal 12-hour shift. Nurses are then required to work their next shift with less than a 12-hour rest period in between. More recently, management has also turned to the hiring of more and more temporary nurses as a stopgap. 

"Hazel RNs are keenly aware of how important it is for nurses to get adequate rest. Without this key protection, medical errors are more likely to occur and infection rates of patients increase. As public sector nurses, we are legally and ethically bound to protect our patients," said Courtney Parrinello, RN. “Hazel Hawkins management routinely and dangerously staffs our nurses on a ‘just in time’ or skeleton crew model, putting patients at serious risk.”

“Poor staffing, unsafe working conditions, and management’s threats to cut protections will put our patients in harm’s way, open nurses up to already exploitative staffing methods, and make it impossible to retain and recruit qualified nurses. Our patients in Hollister and surrounding San Benito County are our neighbors, friends and family. We see them in the grocery store, the post office, and at church. It is unthinkable that as registered nurses we would remain silent when we know their safety is at risk," said Parrinello.

On June 26, hospital executives made what they call their “last, best and final” offer and declared an impasse.

“It was mind-boggling,” said Elizabeth VonUrff, RN and member of the negotiating team. We never stopped bargaining in good faith; but suddenly we were witnessing management and their high-powered law firm employing legal tactics to take away nurses’ voice at the negotiating table. That left us no choice but to call for a strike vote and stand as one to protect our patients and community.”

During the strike, nurses will have a Patient Care Protection Task Force available to respond in an emergency situation. The RNs will evaluate such emergencies on a case-by-case basis and take necessary measure to keep their patients safe. Meanwhile, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital management has received 14 days advance notice from CNA to postpone elective surgeries, transfer out any patients as needed, and make other necessary preparations.