Rady Children’s Hospital nurses vote to strike

Nurses at Rady Children’s Hospital have voted to strike, and their union plans to begin strikes and walkouts on Wednesday.

The United Nurses of Children’s Hospital union, which represents more than 1,500 nurses at the hospital, said that after months of negotiations and failed attempts to negotiate a fair collective agreement, Tuesday’s vote overwhelmingly favored a strike.

“Rady Children’s Hospital forced us to do this,” said Katie Langenstrass, executive director of UNOCH Teamsters Local 1699. “Our members are passionate about their work and their patients. However, the hospital’s continued undervaluation of their commitment and skills leaves us no choice. Even though the hospital’s total operating revenue is set to increase to $1.6 billion in 2023, they continue to refuse to adequately compensate our members. And this while nurses are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. This is simply not right.”

The lack of fair wages and adequate benefits led to the breakdown of negotiations on Monday, the union said. The nurses were then left with no choice but to go on strike and create conditions in the hospital that will lead to longer waiting times, disruptions in patient care and postponements of appointments and treatments.

A date for the start of the strike has not been announced.

“I love my job and the children I care for every day,” said Reid Corley, a registered nurse at Rady Children’s Hospital. “We are simply asking for a fair wage to support our families. The cost of living in San Diego is astronomical and we simply cannot keep up with our current wages. It is heartbreaking to think of the impact on our patients, but we have no other choice.”

The union says hospital workers are creating ongoing staffing problems that have been going on for years because of low wages and rising health care costs. Employees’ share of health insurance premiums has increased by nearly 34% in the past five years.

“We have been behind on wages for years and it is becoming impossible to retain talented nurses,” said Marie Wahl, a registered nurse at Rady Children’s Hospital. “Many of our colleagues are leaving the hospital after only a year or two to take better paying positions at other hospitals. This constant turnover disrupts patient care and places an unjustified burden on those of us who are left. This strike is about more than just wages, it is about patient care.”