Rady Children nurses demand 30% pay raise; strike underway if no agreement is reached

SAN DIEGO — Nurses at Rady Children’s Hospital are unhappy with their pay and benefits after failed contract negotiations.

On Monday, the 1,600 nursing staff dropped a bombshell: If no agreement is reached, they will go on strike for two days starting at 6 a.m. on July 22.

Chris Abe, a nurse and vice president of operations at Rady, said the hospital will have 600 substitute nurses on hand in the event of a strike.

“We always hoped there wouldn’t be a strike, but you have to be prepared for that,” she said. “We will definitely take care of the children with the excellent care we provide, even if they decide to leave.”

Both sides thought they had reached an agreement, but nurses recently rejected the latest offer.

Now the union is demanding a salary increase of around 30 percent over a period of three years, while the hospital is offering an increase of around 22 percent for that period.

“Our goal is to get a tentative agreement. A good contract that these nurses can work with. Our goal has never been a strike. It’s always about getting a fair contract for our employees,” said Reid Corley, an ICU nurse and member of the union’s negotiating team. “We want a fair, living wage.”

He also said that nurses were demanding better health and retirement benefits.

Abe said the hospital made a fair offer – one that starts at about $70 an hour for nurses.

She said nurses at Rady could earn between $130,000 and $200,000 a year under the hospital’s offer.

And she was surprised by the strike threat.

“They gave us no notice whatsoever that it was coming today,” Abe said. “So that was incredibly disappointing for us, and we’re here and committed to taking care of the children.”

Both sides say they hope to reach an agreement before July 22.

Negotiations will continue on Monday.