Healthcare workers at four Prime Healthcare facilities in California began a five-day strike on Oct. 9, citing concerns over pay cuts, high turnover and unsafe staffing levels.
Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals and the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West include registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, medical assistants, emergency room technicians and respiratory therapists.
The unions represent roughly 2,400 workers at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Centinela Hospital Medical Center in Inglewood, Garden Grove Hospital and Medical Center, and Encino Hospital Medical Center.
Meanwhile, Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare oversees 45 hospitals and over 300 outpatient locations across 14 states.
The unions are arguing that management failed to adequately address workers' concerns about alleged unsafe staffing and high turnover during contract negotiations and claimed in a statement that Prime cut nurse salaries when it bought St. Francis in 2020, leading to high turnover among registered nurses.
"Proposals have been delivered to the unions that would increase wages and provide comprehensive benefit programs, including healthcare, that is among the best in the nation at little to no cost to employees," Prime Healthcare said in a statement shared with Becker's Oct. 6 before the strike began. "We believe the current proposal benefits all our employees and hope to reach an agreement so we can continue our mission of providing compassionate, quality care to patients."