With Labor Day looming, a union that represents more than 2,200 nurses and other healthcare workers at four Prime Healthcare owned hospitals, including Shasta Regional Medical Center has wrapped up their two day strike Friday. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is backing the strike. The employees at Shasta Regional have been working without a new contract since last Summer while the union has been in negotiations for higher staffing levels, which they say are necessary for patient safety. This action followed a 24 hour strike done in February and another strike in June that apparently did not achieve the desired effect. Hospital administration insists it’s bargaining in good faith. The union points to Prime Healthcare’s Billions of Dollars in revenue and say not enough is re-invested in operations. The union says it gave the hospital 10 days notice so plans could be made to avoid interruptions in patient care.
-Steve Gibson