Nurses Pack Supes Meeting to Demand Higher Wages, Better Work Conditions

Nurses challenged the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to do more for “the backbone of its health care system” in a standing room-only meeting today as part of a two-day strike. Beginning around 8:15 a.m., around 300 nurses marched from Contra Costa Regional Medical Center to the county’s Administration Building.

It was called for as part of a two-day walkout that nearly 1,000 nurses were expected to participate in. Protesters, organized by the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United, asked the Board of Supervisors during a raucous public comment session to respond to the need for competitive wages to recruit and retain county nurses. Nurses have been in negotiations with the county for 15 months on a new labor contract.

Bonnie Castillo, a registered nurse and a leader for the California Nurses Association, said the county has dragged its feet.

“They’re too busy investing in jails,” Castillo said. “Meanwhile, our situation as (county) nurses is so precarious. We have to manage with faulty equipment and understaffing.” While standing outside the packed Administration Building, Castillo echoed what many would later tell county supervisors, that a lack of action is jeopardizing patient care. The county hospital is “bleeding nurses” as many leave to find higher-paying work in a private hospital setting, Castillo said.

Nurses at the county hospital are paid around 20 to 30 percent less than nurses who work at Kaiser Permanente, according to the California Nurses Association. Protesters today told the supervisors this has created a revolving door at the county hospital, where the county might be paying as much as $50,000 to train a nurse just to see that nurse leave. Having to constantly train new nurses in an already understaffed environment is difficult, Castillo said.

“And instead of working with us, (supervisors) allowed millions to be spent on replacement workers (during the strike), which we can’t afford,” Castillo said.

Last month, the board approved up to $3.7 million to hire replacement nurses when the walkout occurred. Contra Costa Regional Medical Center officials this morning said 120 nurses are filling positions at the medical center and other county clinics. Contra Costa Health Services director William Walker said the replacements were recruited to ensure essential services remained available today and Wednesday.

“We will continue to deliver high-quality health care to our patients. We’re nationally recognized for providing outstanding health care and we always staff to safe standards for patient safety and quality,” Walker said in a statement. Walker said all the replacement nurses are qualified professionals who meet requirements for the specialties where they will be assigned. The supervisors today listened to about 10 nurses as they spoke about their working conditions and called for change amid roaring applause.

“We respect and appreciate the dedicated work of all of our nurses,” Supervisor John Gioia said afterward. Gioia said he attributed much of the county health care system’s greatness to these nurses and referred to them as the system’s “backbone.”

Gioia said the board was committed to reaching an agreement in negotiations with the nurses. He’s also optimistic about it, given the “good leadership on both sides of the bargaining table.” He said he wants to see nurses get the kind of pay they deserve.

“(And) we do want to be competitive with Kaiser,” he said. Gioia said closed-door sessions are being held to discuss the issue further. “I know we’re getting closer (to an agreement),” he said.

By Bay City News

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