More than two thousand registered nurses across Los Angeles are gearing up for coordinated walkouts starting Thursday, Feb. 19, in a high-profile showdown over working conditions and health coverage. The plan calls for a seven-day strike at USC Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Center, paired with a one-day strike at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Union leaders say months of stalled contract talks over staffing, benefits and nurses’ own health plans pushed them to the brink.
What’s Planned
The California Nurses Association says the Keck and Norris strike will run from 7 a.m. on Feb. 19 through 6:59 a.m. on Feb. 26, with an 8:30 a.m. rally kicking off the first morning. At Centinela, nurses are planning a separate walkout from 7 a.m. Feb. 19 to 6:59 a.m. Feb. 20, with a 1 p.m. rally that day.
Union leaders argue that USC is trying to squeeze nurses at the bargaining table by reshaping their health care options. “Instead of improving access to care, USC has made the no-premium health plan worse and is using it as leverage in negotiations,” said Valerie Hernandez, an RN, in the union’s announcement, according to National Nurses United.
Why Nurses Say They’re Striking…