University of California Registered Nurses Will Sympathy Strike in Solidarity with Other University Employees May 8 and 9 University of California registered nurses will walk picket lines Tuesday May 8 and Wednesday May 9 in a sympathy strike with other union co-workers at the University’s five major medical centers and 10 student health centers, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United announced today.

For the UC RNs this will be a sympathy strike, called in solidarity with members of AFSCME Local 3299 who are striking over their collective bargaining contract dispute with the UC administration. A third union, University Professional & Technical Employees/CWA members at UC facilities also plan to sympathy strike.

CNA represents more than 14,000 RNs at the five major UC medical centers, 10 student health centers, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

CNA welcomed the decision of a California Superior Court late Friday which rejected an effort by UC administrators to prevent RNs from exercising their right to sympathy strike in solidarity with their co-workers.

As is common in CNA strikes, CNA UC RNs will be available at the medical centers in a Patient Protection Task Force to assist in an urgent medical need pending a request from UC officials to CNA.

“UC Davis Medical Center nurses support our fellow UC workers in their demands for a strong contract and justice in the workplace,” said UC Davis RN Melissa Johnson-Camacho, RN. “As nurses we know that in order to provide the safe patient care our communities need we count on our co-workers and they count on us.”

“Nurses at UCLA are standing strong with our sisters and brother co-workers,” said UCLA RN Marcia Santini. “We work side by side in the units and together we deliver the highest quality of care for our patients and our communities. We demand that UC show them the respect they deserve for the hard work that they do every day.”

“UC Student Health nurses are ready to sympathy strike to support our fellow UC service workers,” said Michelle Kay, a Nurse Practitioner at the UC Berkeley Tang Center. “We all play a critical role in making UC the institution it is. All UC workers deserve job security, safe working conditions, economic and retirement security and we stand united with all UC workers demanding justice and fairness from UC administration.”

A sympathy strike happens when one union agrees to participate in a strike called by a union representing other workers who have a union contract with that same employer.

“At UCI nurses voted overwhelmingly to strike in sympathy with our co-workers,” said UC Irvine RN Marlene Tucay. “We will stand with them in their fight for justice, economic, retirement, and job security. UC needs to know that if you take on one of us, you take on all of us!”

CNA represents 100,000 RNs throughout California, and is the largest affiliate of NNU, with more than 150,000 members nationwide.