In an expression of frustration over contract negotiations, the union representing nurses at the Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children unfurled banners in front of the hospital on Wednesday morning.
The yellow, 15-foot banners said: “Kapi‘olani Medical Center Allows Unsafe Staffing Conditions” in blue and red letters.
The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents about 600 at Kapi‘olani, said it was unhappy with the “lack of respect being shown to them behind closed doors” and the lack of progress in talks with hospital leaders, which have dragged out over six months.
Negotiations for a new, three-year contract have been underway since mid-September, and nurses have been working without one since Dec. 1.
In January, the unionized nurses held a very visible and audible, week-long strike in front of the hospital, then agreed to resume talks with Hawaii Pacific Health, which operates Kapi‘olani. The union had been relatively quiet while in negotiations, but broke that silence on Wednesday.
“Despite three bargaining sessions involving a federal mediator since our week-long strike, we are back to square one in our negotiations and are far from any resolution,” said Rosalee Agas-Yuu, HNA president, in a news release. “This drawn-out process has been demoralizing to the nursing team and is spreading to doctors and others in the hospital. We are not giving up. The banners are our way of peacefully expressing our great dissatisfaction with hospital management.”
The nurses are mostly in disagreement with management over the establishment of nurse-to-patient ratios, which set a limit on how many patients a nurse cares for during the same shift. The ratios would vary depending on the department.
“We are disappointed with the actions of the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association,” said Gidget Ruscetta, Kapi‘olani’s chief operating officer, in a statement. “We respect our nurses, and we remain committed to reaching an agreement as quickly as possible so they can begin benefiting from a new contract. We are offering improvements to staffing through a comprehensive and innovative staffing model and highly competitive wage increases.”
Kapi‘olani said the next bargaining session with the union and federal mediator is scheduled for March 28.
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