9,000 University of California Nurses to Strike July 21

OAKLAND, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire/ – In what is believed to be the largest single strike by registered nurses ever in the United States, some 9,000 University of California RNs have called a one day strike Thursday, July 21 at several of the state’s best known medical institutions, the California Nurses Association announced today.

In a series of large membership meetings held over the past two weeks, UC RNs, Nurse Practitioners, and Nurse Anesthetists voted by an overwhelming 95% to reject a contract proposal by University administrators and authorize the walkout. The strike will affect large UC medical centers in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego, San Francisco, Davis, and Irvine, and student health centers in Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz and Berkeley. CNA said that the University has refused to bargain in good faith provoking the walkout.

At the center of the dispute, said CNA, is the University’s hard line stance on two issues linked to the high profile attack by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on nurses in recent months – retirement security and safe staffing.

UC plans major cuts in nurses’ retirement plan matching Schwarzenegger’s goals

from Labour Headline News Digest