Bay Area hospitals are working to tell their side of the story in a media storm set off by the 34-hospital state-wide strike by nurses that began last Thursday. The nurses’ union (California Nurses Association) is demanding pay and benefit increases.
 
Children's Hospital Oakland says the average hourly rate for its nurses is $67.31, which equates to $140,000 a year for working 40 hours a week. The nurses’ union is demanding a 12% salary increase over the next three years that the hospital says it cannot afford.

Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley is another East Bay hospital affected by the strike. Full time nurses there earn an average salary of $136,000 per year and have the option of 100 percent employer paid health benefits for themselves and their dependents. They earn an employer-paid pension plan worth $84,000 per year on average for life (Age 65 with 22 years of experience). According to the hospital, in the past four year, nurses have received a total salary increase of 22 percent.

"We are deeply disappointed in the union’s decision to call this strike," said Cindy Dove, spokesperson for Eden Medical. "In three months of bargaining, CNA has yet to provide a wage offer. We bargained Sept. 19 and have provided six dates to bargain in October and are waiting to hear back," adds Dove.

"The CNA leadership is out-of-touch with changes occurring throughout the country related to wages and healthcare benefits, and out of touch with the fact that Children's is financially strained," said Nancy Shibata, RN, MSN, Children's Chief Nursing Officer at Children's Hospital.

In 2009, Children's Hospital announced that it lost more than $69 million over the preceding four years, including a loss of $17.9 million in 2009 alone. The hospital says financial challenges stem from the poor economy, low reimbursement rates, increasing healthcare costs and a lack of public hospitals with pediatric inpatient beds. The patient population is approximately 19.5% Latino.

"Unfortunately, this kind of misguided action by CNA only hurts the infants, children, and parents who are forced to reschedule surgeries that they've been planning on for months," said Shibata.

"We believe this strike has more to do with the union’s priorities – like collaborative efforts with other unions – than about the priorities of Eden and San Leandro registered nurses, " states Dove.

The nurses’ strike is expected to go until 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27.

At the time of publishing, Vision Hispana received no reply from CNA for comment on the strike or salaries.