Southern California Nurses strike cancelled, agreement reached

The threat of a nurses strike has loomed over Southern California for the past few weeks, as hospitals face increasing numbers of critical patients. Nurses at three hospitals say their employers were alarmingly unprepared, and have limited access to personal protective equipment. Today, HCA Healthcare released a statement saying the strike has been called off. "After many sessions of bargaining, SEIU 121RN has agreed to a fair new contract, averting their planned 10-day strikes at Riverside Community Hospital, West Hills Hospital and Medical Center and Los Robles Health System during the pandemic surge in Southern California. This is a positive development for our colleagues, patients, fellow medical providers and the communities we serve. We appreciate community leaders who put the needs of the communities first over the past week and expressed concern regarding the planned strikes. Throughout the bargaining process, our hospitals continued to put the health and well-being of our colleagues and patients first, and we will continue to do so as we collectively battle the pandemic which is bringing so much pain to our communities. This agreement with the union, along with the new vaccines, provides reason for optimism among our friends, families and neighbors and helps stabilize our area’s healthcare system." – Antonio Castelan, HCA Far West Division Communications Manager.