Roughly 800 nurses picket San Joaquin County hospital over PPE, alleged staffing issues
Registered nurses picketed San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp on Thursday amid a five-day strike, saying county leaders are not addressing their concerns over patient care, staffing, and protections against the new coronavirus.
It is the second time that these nurses, roughly 800 members of the California Nurses Association, have sought what’s called an intermittent strike — job actions aimed at showing solidarity behind demands. The first strike in March lasted two days.
“We are striking to stand up for our patient safety and for ourselves,” said Annie Misakit, a registered nurse who grew up in the county “During one of the most dangerous pandemics in history, management is understaffing critical units, which puts our nurses and our patients at risk. They’re failing to provide us with sufficient (personal protective equipment, and we can’t do our jobs safely.”
In a news release, San Joaquin County said it has put together “a staffing plan that will ensure patient health and safety” for the five-day strike ending Monday morning.
“Needless to say, it’s disappointing to have to manage a nurse’s strike during a pandemic, especially when our county that has been hard hit by COVID-19,” said David Culberson, the chief executive officer of San Joaquin General Hospital. “We are a small county hospital serving patients on Medicare and Medi-Cal and our budget for wage increase proposals reflect that reality.”
The nurses’ previous contract expired Dec. 31, 2018, according to the county’s news release, and under that agreement, they received a 20% increase in wages. To keep experienced nurses from leaving for higher-paying jobs in other areas, the county also agreed to an additional 10% salary increase when nurses reached 15 years of service.
Culberson did not address the nurse’s allegations that the county is violating regulations intended to ensure safe nurse-patient ratios. They say management is understaffing critical-care units, failing to provide sufficient personal protective equipment to nurses, and pushing for cuts to their contract that would increase nurse turnover.
The nurses’ union has filed Cal/OSHA complaints against the county regarding PPE.
The nurses will picket the French Camp hospital, 500 W. Hospital Road, until 5 p.m. Thursday; from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. They plan a demonstration from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday at the San Joaquin County administration building, 44 North San Joaquin St., in Stockton.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Roughly 800 nurses picket San Joaquin County hospital over PPE, alleged staffing issues."
