With no significant progress at the bargaining table since their overwhelming May vote to authorize a strike—citing issues such as safe staffing and retention of experienced nurses—Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH) nurses delivered notice of their intent to strike on Wednesday, Sept. 28, the California Nurses Association announced today.
 
“Over 90 percent of our bargaining unit lives in the Antelope Valley, making this a true community hospital,” said John De La Cerda, a Cardiac Telemetry RN, who has been with the hospital for 8 years. “We are deeply invested in settling a contract which supports safe staffing, and the recruitment and retention of quality nurses, and the highest standard of patient care.”
 
The California Nurses association represents approximately 1,000 RNs at AVH. The Sept. 28 strike date comes on the heels of management taking a hard line in negotiations, say nurses, putting their patients in jeopardy and pushing for cuts to the RNs’ own livelihood and standards.
 
“As nurses we can no longer accept threats to our profession and to our patients. We are dedicated patient advocates fighting to provide the best and most compassionate care,” said Maria Altamirano, RN, Chief Nurse Representative, who has been with AVH for nine years.
 
Antelope Valley Hospital is managed by Alecto Healthcare, and RNs say that Alecto cutting corners on staffing is coming at a cost to the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain experienced nurses. Nearly 60 RNs have left the hospital in the past year.
 
“Inside the walls of this hospital, we have had our babies, we have lost our loved ones. Our neighbors and friends and family have come to this hospital for generations, for help and care,” said Reymi Updike, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit RN for RN for four years. “Unlike Alecto, our ties to this hospital and this community run deep. We committed to fair practices for our community and our patients. We need to respect our history and protect our future.”

The strike is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and conclude at 6:59 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29. The California Nurses Association represents nearly 100,000 registered nurses statewide.