Registered nurses at Long Beach Medical Center/Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital (LBMC/MCWH) in Long Beach will hold an informational picket and rally on June 24 to fight for safe patient staffing, high-quality care, and focused recruitment and retention, announced California Nurses Association (CNA).

LBMC/MCWH nurses have been in negotiations since January for a new contract with little to no movement on key issues.

The RNs urge LBMC/MCWH management to invest in nursing staff and agree to a contract that provides:

• Safe patient care by fully complying with legally mandated safe staffing ratios at all times and ensuring that nurses are only assigned to units where they have established expertise or competency. According to well-established research there is a clear link between RN staffing levels and good patient outcomes. For example, research shows that every patient over four assigned to one nurse in a medical/surgical unit, could increase mortality by 7 percent per patient.
• Focused recruitment and retention of quality nurses through competitive wages that recognize nursing experience.Better recruitment and retention of nurses’ guarantees an essential staffing mix for patient care. 

• A contract with no takeaways. Hospital management is trying to take away RNs’ whistle-blower protections that givethem the right to advocate for patients. Nurses are asking for issues to be corrected within a reasonable time period. Also, the hospital is attempting to limit access to the union staff and restrict CNA’s ability to represent union members.

What: Nurses to Hold Informational Picket on Safe Patient Staffing
When: Monday, June 24, 7:30 am–8:30 am and 11am–2pm; rally with speakers from 11:30 am–12.30 pm
Where: Corner of Atlantic Ave. and 27th St., Long Beach (near LBMC)

Nurses, community allies, and elected leaders will be speaking at the rally from 11:30 am to 12.30 pm