Registered nurses at Queen of the Valley Medical Center (QVMC) in Napa, Calif. will hold an informational picket on Feb. 21, followed by a vote to authorize a strike in an effort to raise patient care standards and win a fair contract, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, (CNA/NNU) announced today.

Nurses at QVMC will picket to highlight cutbacks and eroding patient care. Among the nurses’ top concerns is safe patient care; including safe staffing and dedicated staff for safe patient handling.

“After eight months of negotiations, it's time for Queen of the Valley nurses to bring our concerns to our community and let them know nurses are fighting to give them the best patient care,” said MaryLou Bahn, RN in labor and delivery at Queen of the Valley and member of the bargaining team. “We’re fighting for adequate staffing levels because we refuse to put profits over the needs of our patients.”

What: Informational picket and vote to authorize a strike
When: Friday, Feb. 21, 2020
            Informational Picket: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
            Strike Vote: 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: St. Joseph Health, Queen of the Valley Medical Center
            1000 Trancas St, Napa, CA 94558

NOTE: This is an informational picket, NOT a strike or work stoppage. Nurses are engaging in an informational picket during their non-work hours.

In addition to eroding care, QVMC nurses have growing concerns about recruitment and retention of experienced nurses. RNs would like more focused recruitment and retention of quality nurses through competitive wages and benefits.

"Our nurses and our community deserve respect,” said Leigh Glasgow, an intensive care unit RN and member of the bargaining team. “Together we will picket to demand the safe patient care and fair contract we deserve."

The nurses will vote on whether to authorize their nurse negotiators to call a strike, if the issues RNs have been raising in ongoing contract negotiations remain unresolved.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United represents 425 nurses at QVMC.

The California Nurses Association has 100,000 members and is a founding member of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 150,000 members nationwide. CNA/NNU plays a leadership role in safeguarding the health and safety of RNs and their patients and has won landmark legislation in the areas of staffing, safe patient handling, infectious disease, and workplace violence prevention.