Jan. 11—Unionized nurses at
Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women &Children said they will go on a weeklong strike later this month, and management assured the public that they have a plan to maintain the hospital's quality of care.
The Hawaii Nurses' Association, which represents about 600 at Kapi'olani,
on Wednesday notified
management of the strike after the two sides failed to reach a deal in contract negotiations. The strike is scheduled to take place from 7 a.m. Jan. 21 through 6:59 a.m. Jan. 28.
After nearly four months of negotiations, the union says the main contention is its demand for nurse-patient ratios that set the maximum number of patients a nurse is assigned to care for in a shift. Union members say this, more than pay, has been their top priority because nurses have been overburdened with a higher number of patients.
Hospital management, meanwhile, says fixed ratios affect its ability to be flexible and to meet the needs of
its patients in a fluid
environment.
Rose Agas-Yuu, HNA president, said the strike was called due to management's failure to bargain in good faith and unfair labor
practices. Kapi'olani by Wednesday afternoon had presented what it said was its last, best and final offer, with little movement forward.
"We offered to accept many of their terms and conditions and asked for some concessions, but we were stonewalled," Agas-Yuu said in a statement. "Kapi'olani's leaders have publicly stated they are committed to
caring for our community and would always prioritize patients, but this was not reflected in our private negotiations."
Kapi'iolani officials said the 10-day strike notice was disappointing, given that management had presented a fair and generous offer to HNA, addressing items identified as priorities for the nurses.
"Throughout the negotiations, Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women &Children has addressed the priorities presented on behalf of our nurses with the intent of moving forward together," said Gidget Ruscetta, Kapi'olani chief operating officer.
"Despite the union's decision to strike and refusal several times to negotiate with a federal mediator, we want to reassure the community that we will continue to serve our patients and their families," Ruscetta said. "Kapi'olani will be here to serve our community, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and we will never waver from that responsibility."
"We are committed to high quality care for our patients," she said. "We want to reassure Kapi'olani patients and families that we have already activated plans to ensure that we will continue to serve our community. We have secured a temporary workforce of experienced nurses who are licensed in the state of Hawaii. They are prepared to provide the specialized services that we need for the patients at Kapi'olani. These are highly skilled, highly trained nurses who are prepared and ready to provide the care needed for our patients."