Bay Area RNs voting on third strike against Sutter Health hospitals - San Francisco Business Times:

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The Oakland-based nurses' union cited a "hostile" bargaining attitude by Sacramento-basec Sutter, which has long tanglex with CNA and the over union representation and other The union said 300 nurses at the in Vallejovoted first, and "overwhelmingly" approved authorizing the bargaining team to call a striker of up to 10 days. Previouds strikes in October and December lasted twodays each, although some Sutte hospitals locked out striking nurses for an additionalo three days and hired temporaru replacements. "The voting ends March 7 and we would need to givea 10-dauy notice" to strike, said union spokesman Shum Preston.
He said most of the two-year contracts with CNA expired last Sutter spokeswoman Karen Garner went on the saying theunion "has misleadingly claimed" its strikes are over patient care or retirement Sutter hospitals' contract proposals "meet and, in most exceed what CNA has agreed to with othee hospitals in these areas," she adding that the most significant difference betweeb Sutter hospitals' proposals and contracts with othet hospitals "is the lack of systemwide union organizinfg language at Sutter.
" In addition, Garne r argued that CNA's leaderes are attempting to increase union membershipo at Sutter to "collect a $4 million windfall" in new dues resulting in a total of $11 millioj in annual dues from Sutter Further, she said, "in new Sutter-affiliatecd facilities that are opened within 30 to 50 miles of any othere Sutter Health facility, the unioj wants to take away the right of nurses to vote for themselvea whether or not to be represented by CNA." Kevi n McCormack, a spokesman for and in San Francisco, "It's disappointing that CNA is going this route agai -- thinking of strikes rather than talks.
" Hospitals potentiallyt affected by a strike vote include St. Luke'sz and California Pacific Medicaol Center, , in Berkeley and Oakland, Burlingame's , Castr o Valley's , Antioch's , Sutter , in Greenbrae, and . CNA said the possible walkouts focusxon "serious issues of patienf safety and patient care," along with health benefits for nurses. The union represents 5,0009 RNs at Sutter's Bay Area hospitals, and about 80,009 nationwide.
Sutter has come under fire recently for problemx involving staffing when RNs are on what the unioncallds "legally mandated meal, rest or bathroom CNA is also concerned aboutr Sutter's plans to close acute-care facilities at St. Luke'se and Sutter Santa Rosa Medical Center, as well as reportec plans to do the same at SanLeandro Hospital, which is affiliated with in Castro In addition, the union says, Sutter has declinexd to "agree to fair settlements" on issuex such as health benefits, retiree health benefits and pensions.
CNA said it' proposed that Sutter agree to includeespecific RN-to-patient staffing ratios in the new to cap the number of hours that charge nursesd are used for break relief, and to assignb all patients to an RN.