Nurses Blast Hospital Management for Failing to Bargain in Good Faith and Jeopardizing Patient Care

Registered nurses at Barton Memorial Hospital say with the hospital failing to negotiate in good faith, they have no choice but to set a one-day strike for May 24, announced California Nurses Association today.  Nurses contend that hospital management is refusing to take the necessary steps to retain experienced nurses and schedule the staffing necessary to provide the best patient care possible.
 
“No one wants to go on strike, we want to be at the bedside taking care of our patients,” said Kelli Teteak, RN. “I have worked at Barton for 18 years. This is where I get my care, and this is where my family gets care. But Barton has made it clear they don’t want us to have a voice in patient care, and they are determined to bust the union. Hospital management is taking punitive actions against nurses who are standing up for their rights. The hospital is threatening to impose a four-day lockout against striking nurses. This is a bully tactic aimed at punishing nurses by making it hard for them to provide for their families as they fight for the wellbeing of the community."
 
CNA has filed unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing hospital management of not bargaining in good faith.
 
“We voted in the union because we need a union to address the bare-bones staffing and the need to retain and recruit experienced nurses to our hospital,” said Beth Dameral, RN. “But since we sat down at the table, hospital management has made it clear they are not willing to work with us. They have reneged on promises, they have stalled negotiations, and they are withholding information that we have a right to have. We feel we have no choice but to strike.”
 
The strike is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Friday, May 24 and conclude at 6:59 a.m. on Saturday, May 25.
 
In November 2017, Barton Memorial Hospital registered nurses voted overwhelmingly to join the CNA. The nurses have been in negotiations with hospital management since March of 2018.