Nurses at Rady Children's Hospital walked off the job Monday morning after rejecting the latest contract offer from the hospital.
The walkout comes after the hospital put a new offer on the table with a raise on Saturday, but the nurses said it was not enough to live in San Diego.
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The union statement said, "While our bargaining team reached a deal, it is ultimately up to the membership to decide, and they have determined that it falls far too short of their needs. This proposal does not adequately address the high cost of living in San Diego, the most expensive city in the country, nor does it meet the standards necessary to attract and retain the talented nurses our hospital needs."
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The statement said the hospital's refusal to meet reasonable demands forced them into the position.
"Despite our efforts to collaborate with the hospital to ensure that crucial and specialized nurses remain on duty, the hospital has opted to import replacement nurses from other states. This decision, a clear display of disrespect towards our dedicated nurses and the patients they serve, only strengthens our resolve. We are steadfast in our mission to secure fair wages, benefits, and the respect our nurses rightfully deserve. We do not want to strike, but we have no other option," the statement said.
The strike will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Rady Children's Hospital, 3020 Children's Way, according to a statement from Katie Langenstrass, executive director of United Nurses of Children's Hospital Teamsters Local 1699.
"We're asking Rady's to help us take care of our families the way we take care of the families of this community," Langenstrass said. "So far, they have not stepped up to the plate to do that."
Rady Children's Hospital's management begs to differ, saying the latest contract offer includes raises that amount to 25% over three years.
"We look at the compensation grids from Southern California, and more specifically here in San Diego, and this increase would, in the first year, immediately place the average alongside the average and actually in the top — in the higher ranges — of the averages for nurses," Dr. Patrick Frias, president and CEO of Rady Children's Hospital, said.
The hospital says it brought in 400 nurses to fill in while its 1,600 union nurses walk the picket lines. Management at the hospital says quality of care has been seamless, but the honking and cheering is a huge problem.
"The intensive care doctors and the nurses actually can't hear the kids breathing. They can't hear their heartbeat, so it's really impacting those patients," Dr. Charlie Davis, COO at Rady Children's Hospital, said. "We have some patients that are very sensitive to sound, things that change their blood pressure. This is critical. This noise is really impacting those patients."
The strike is set to continue Tuesday. Nurses picketed at three locations on Monday, but because of the heat, Tuesday's picket line has been called off at the Rancho Springs facility in Murrieta.
"I have full confidence that we can provide all the care that's necessary for these children in these next 48 hours. We look forward to welcoming our nurses back on Wednesday morning when the strike is over and we are always open to getting back to the negotiating table and putting this behind us," Patrick Frias, MD, president and CEO of Rady Children's told NBC 7.
The nurses’ three-year contract ended on June 30, and negotiations began in May.
