The union representing 360 nurses at the West Anaheim Medical Center is planning a one-day strike Tuesday, Aug. 12 at the Orange County facility.
A spokesman with the California Nurses Association / National Nurses United said the medical center began negotiations with the nurses’ union in February. The nurses three-year contract expired April 11.
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CNA/NNU is negotiating multiple individual contracts — including medical staff of 340 people at Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood — across different facilities owned by Ontario-based Prime Healthcare Services Inc. There is not a master contract that covers all the facilities, the union spokesman said.
The nurses at the Anaheim medical center voted to authorize the strike in late spring, the spokesman said. The strike action scheduled Tuesday is the CNA/NNU’s first public action since the contract expired.
The center at 3033 W. Orange Ave. was founded in 1964, and is among an extensive portfolio of hospitals and medical facilities owned by Prime Healthcare in 14 states.
“While we are disappointed that the union has elected to move forward with a work stoppage, we respect their right to strike as part of the negotiation process,” a Prime Healthcare spokesperson said in a statement issued to the Southern California News Group.
“West Anaheim Medical Center bargained in good faith with union leadership with the goal of reaching an agreement in the best interest of the hospital,” the spokesperson said. “A proposal has been delivered to the union from the hospital that would increase wages and provide a workable and affordable healthcare plan and comprehensive benefit programs among the best in the nation at little to no cost to employees.”
Despite the threat of a strike next week, the spokesperson said wage increases still will be implemented Aug. 8 for the nurses. The hospital declined to say how much the nurses’ wages were rising.
Prime Healthcare owns 51 hospitals, 360 outpatient locations, and employs nearly 57,000 staff and physicians, according to the company’s website.
The West Anaheim Medical Center is a 219-bed acute-care hospital that provides medical and surgical care, emergency services and diagnostic imaging.
Prime Healthcare, the fifth-largest health care system in the United States, also operates medical centers in Apple Valley, Chino, Garden Grove, Hesperia, Huntington Beach, Inglewood, Montclair, Northridge, San Dimas, Sherman Oaks, Victorville and Westminster.
In their discussions with Prime Healthcare, the nurses raised concerns about turnover affecting the quality of patient care, measures to attract and retain nursing staff, and strict adherence to legal requirements for nurse-to-patient ratios.
After months of negotiations and three days with a federal mediator, management declared an impasse, the union spokesman said.
Nurses recently delivered notice to the hospital for their strike, which was authorized by the medical center’s nurses and members of CNA.
The Prime Healthcare chain was founded in 1989 by cardiologist Prem Reddy, founder, chairman and chief executive officer.