California Nurses Association Talks May Avert One-Day Strike Over H1N1

http://www.laborradio.org/node/12250

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on October 28, 2009 - 4:54pm
Printer-friendly versionPrinter-friendly versionSend to friendSend to friend

By Doug Cunningham

The California Nurses Association had been planning a one-day strike Friday to protest what union says is poor readiness by many hospitals to confront the H1N1 flue virus. As many as 16,000 registered nurses from three large Catholic hospital chains were to participate at hospitals across California. Negotiations currently underway, though, may change that strike plan. The CNA isn’t commenting publicly about it pending the outcome of the talks. Nurses were set, though, to picket over their ongoing concern that not enough is being done by hospital management to make sure nurses, patients and their families are safe in the face of the swine flu pandemic. The nurses union says many hospitals continue to do a poor job of isolating H1N1 patients and providing proper protective gear for healthcare workers and patients. The California Nurses Association wants all hospitals to formally adopt all Centers For Disease Control guidelines to assure that the highest safety measures are uniformly applied.