Kaiser Permanente nurses strike in California, pick up support from Bernie Sanders

Kaiser Permanente nurses on strike. (Image via Calif. Nurses Association on Twitter)

Registered nurses at Kaiser Permanente's flagship Los Angeles Medical Center on Tuesday began a seven-day strike that has the support of presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, according to the California Nurses Association.

Kaiser has made over $14.4 billion in profit over the past six years but has frozen wages for nurses at the region's tertiary center, according to the union. The 1,200 registered nurses who are members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United are seeking their first CNA collective bargaining contract. 

"This planned action by the union is simply a disappointing tactic to try to influence the bargaining of a first time contract," Kaiser Permanente said in a statement.

On Sunday, Sanders, D-Vermont, voiced support for the Los Angeles Medical Center nurses with a letter to Executive Director William Grice urging the hospital to bargain in good faith and to agree to a contract as soon as possible, according to the union.

"With this call, Sen. Sanders is demonstrating once again that he is the strongest advocate of workers as they advocate for the broader public interest – in the case of nurses, public health and safety – as well as for their own working conditions and livelihood," said RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of National Nurses United and California Nurses Association.

Great video of RNs chanting "Fair Contract Now!" at LAMC's weeklong strike. Solidarity! #RNStrike #1U #SafeStaffing pic.twitter.com/q6FVMjYvvy

-- California Nurses (@CalNurses) March 16, 2016

Kaiser Permanente said the strike was unjustified, as last month during bargaining it had proposed wages for nurses that would keep them among the best paid in southern California. 

"CNA's response to this significant increase was to call a strike – before we'd even had a chance to discuss the proposal at the bargaining table," Kaiser said.

[Also: Nurses strike at 5 Sutter hospitals in California, claim pay, safety issues]

Kaiser has a 70-year legacy of supporting organized labor, and when disagreements arise, it is typically not at odds with employees, but the union leadership, Kaiser said.

"As often happens in these types of disputes, we have already seen this union and their supporters make accusations that are not true," Kaiser said.

The union said the nurses strike is focused on improving staffing and achieving economic gains to retain experienced nurses and boost recruitment of new nurses. The union is also calling upon Kaiser to end the practice of floating, or assigning nurses to areas outside of their expertise. 

[Also: Nurses, physicians, pharmacists top list of most honest professionals, Gallup poll finds]

The quality of care at Los Angeles Medical Center has never been higher, Kaiser said. In 2015 LAMC was named one of the Top 10 Best Hospitals in California by U.S. News & World Report and one of only 34 hospitals nationwide to be rated as "high performing" in all five common inpatient procedures.

"In addition, our nursing staff ratios meet or exceed state guidelines," Kaiser said. "This isolated strike is not about quality or adequate staffing levels."

Los Angeles Medical Center offers specialty services such as Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation, a procedure for high-risk patients and is the regional high-risk center for young children with cancer, according to the union.

Like Healthcare Finance on Facebook

"If Kaiser is planning on using this medical center as its teaching hospital for their Medical School, it is critical to improve patient care conditions especially for our region's sickest babies and kids, end floating and provide for a fair contract for nurses," said Aisha Ealey, a neonatal intensive care unit nurse.

The union said it wants Kaiser to invest in the regional specialty center and settle a fair contract with strong patient care provisions similar to what Kaiser has previously agreed to in the CNA contract for 18,000 nurses in California.

"Kaiser LAMC prides itself on being the tertiary flagship center for the Southern California region and has expanded services here in the past few years, but it is hard to provide quality care while we are constantly short staffed," said Joel Briones, a coronary care unit nurse. "Our patients deserve better. With billions in profits, the nurses are insisting Kaiser settle a contract that reflects our role as patient advocates for the region."

Twitter: @SusanJMorse