The union representing hundreds of nurses at Rady Children's Hospital said Thursday that its members intend to strike for five days starting Aug. 19. The 10-day notice comes after another round of negotiations with the hospital failed Thursday and the nurses' union rejecting the third tentative contract deal earlier this week.
“Despite making our demands clear, the hospital has yet again refused to offer us the wages we are asking for and have forced us back out to the picket line," Katie Langenstrass, executive director of the United Nurses of Children's Hospital Teamsters Local 1699, said in a statement, in part.
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Langenstrass added that while the latest offer had some improvements, the hospital was "reallocating money from some members to others."
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"This is unacceptable," Langenstrass said. "As Teamsters, we stand united in our fight for a fair contract that benefits all nurses."
In an emailed statement to NBC 7, Rady Children's Hospital said, in part: "Rady Children's believes the most recent tentative agreement with UNOCH was fair, competitive and sustainable and allocated available funds to the areas we believe are of greatest need."
The UNOCH leadership team reached a tentative agreement with Rady Children's Hospital on Saturday. But the union members voted to turn down the contract offer on Tuesday.
That marked the third vote on a potential contract the 1,600-plus members of the union have taken in just over a month.
The union’s three-year contract with the hospital ended June 30, and the two sides have been negotiating since May. The union voted down the first proposal, then voted to authorize a strike, then voted down a second proposal in mid-July. Nurses then went on strike for two days, from July 22-24.
The key issue is compensation: The nurses’ union said they make less than nurses at other San Diego-area hospitals and pay more for their health insurance. Union leadership has said it's an issue impacting recruitment and retention, which then affects patient care.
“We wanted to show the hospital we were serious,” said Langenstrass on the first day of the strike. “We wanted to make a point. We also have the kids in mind, right? Like, the patients are our top priority, patient safety is our top priority, and all those decisions led to a two-day strike.”
Rady Children's Hospital has said its offer before the strike gave nurses a 25% raise over three years, up from 22% in the initial proposal.
“We look at compensation grids from across 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,” said Dr. Patrick Frias, who is Rady Children’s Hospital president and CEO.
Parents NBC 7 spoke to at Rady Children's Hospital say they are worried that a longer strike could potentially impact the care their children receive.
"I had a little concern, like I was telling my sister how all of this would affect, you know, the families, the relatives of the patients here," parent Melissa Tebuteb said.
They are hoping an agreement can be reached soon.
"Rady's has saved my daughter's life at some point a year-and-a-half ago, and the nursing staff got us through it. They were incredible, so I believe in what nurses do," parent Karen Elaine Rogers said. "I'm all for them getting whatever they need to be able to feel safe and valued and have enough to do what they do."
The union said its bargaining team will meet with the hospital again on Monday to continue discussions. It can withdraw its notice before the strike starts.
During the first strike, Rady Children's Hospital said brought in 400 nurses from different hospitals to cover the striking nurses. The hospital said it would implement its strike contingency plan again, so it can continue to be the "pediatric safety net" for families.
