Nearly 500 technical and professional employees at MarinHealth Medical Center have announced their intent to strike next week, along with 700 members of the California Nurses Association. The groups cite concerns over rising health care costs and what they describe as months of bad faith bargaining by hospital management.
The 24-hour unfair labor practice strike, organized by Teamsters Local 856, is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on Feb. 18 and would involve workers ranging from respiratory therapists and emergency department technicians to environmental services and food service staff. Like the nurses, their contract expired June 30, and they have been in contract negotiations for nearly a year.
Union leaders say negotiations have stalled largely over proposed changes to employee health insurance. According to the union, MarinHealth has proposed health care cost increases through UnitedHealthcare that could reach as much as $1,000 per month for some workers…