Over 95 percent of the 8,000-member California Nurses Association voted May 7 and May 8 to approve a nurses strike in the UC health care system.
The vote allows labor representatives of CNA to call a one-day strike if necessary, provided they give 10 days notice to the University of California.
Should a strike occur, the effects could be felt at public health care facilities throughout the state, including medical centers at UCLA, UC San Francisco, UC Irvine, UC Davis and UCSD.
The potential of a nursing strike would affect not only the UCSD Medical Center’s Hillcrest and Thornton hospitals, but also the Student Health Center and nearly a dozen members of its nursing staff.
According to CNA representatives, the heart of the dispute between the University of California and CNA deals with the present method for determining pay increases for nurses.
University officials contend that the “”merit-pay program,”” a performance-based compensation program currently used by the University of California, attempts to reward hard-working nurses who demonstrate quality patient care with increases in pay.
CNA is fighting to end the merit-pay program because it feels it unfairly rewards some nurses, while ignoring others who work just as hard.
In place of the current system, CNA hopes to introduce a new system that uses length of nursing experience as the sole factor for determining pay increases for UC nurses.
Many nurses contend that the merit-pay program currently in use is far too biased and that the evaluations of work ethics are not objective enough, CNA representatives say.
Paul Schwartz, spokesman for the University of California, disagrees.
“”We feel that [merit pay] is the best way to properly reward nurses who deliver excellent nursing and quality patient care,”” he said
Schwartz is critical of the seniority-based pay system proposed by CNA.
“”The union wants strictly a seniority-based system that doesn’t take into consideration quality of work performance, and we just don’t think that’s appropriate.””
Schwartz says that support behind CNA is not unanimous among UC nurses.
“”While some nurses obviously support the union’s position, there are UC nurses that do not, and would not want to see us abandon the merit system,”” he said.
Other points of contention between the two parties include staffing, mandatory overtime and full contract protections for per diem nurses who work on an as-needed basis.
CNA representatives maintain that many nurses say they feel that they have been too passive over the past few years in making their demands known to the University of California. Last week’s vote in support of striking, they said, was seen as a wake-up call.
Fran Burns, a registered nurse at UCSD Medical Center, was pleased with last week’s vote.
“”Nurses have been afraid to speak up because of repercussions,”” Burns said. “”But now with the union being so much stronger and so much more supportive, nurses are at the point where they’re saying, ‘O.K., yeah, I have the backing so I am going to express my needs, and the needs for the patients.'””
Dr. Brian Murray, director of Student Health Services at UCSD, acknowledged the impact a nursing strike would have on students.
“”If the nurses go out on strike, it would impact delivery of health services at Student Health,”” Murray said. “”Although the quality of care would not be impacted, care would not be provided as efficiently or in as rapid a manner. Students should expect significantly longer waits and deferment of some health care [such as physical exams] if the nurses go out on strike.””
Charles Idelson, a spokesman for CNA, recognizes the general sentiment felt by nurses employed at UCSD Medical Center and their colleagues throughout the UC system.
“”There’s a lot of nurses at UC San Diego. They, like nurses throughout the UC system, are very displeased with the position that the administration has taken.””
Idelson feels that last week’s vote in support of a strike reflects the overwhelming degree of frustration felt by UC nurses and the need to take action against their employers.
“”I think the outrage the nurses are expressing in the university system indicates a very large number of nurses are fed up with the administration and feel they need to make a strong statement,”” Idelson said.
Although the University of California and the CNA are far from resolving their dispute, Idelson is optimistic that a fair settlement can be reached in the coming days without the need for a strike.
“”A strike would only be used as a last resort. We do have more negotiations [this] week, and there’s no reason why the University of California cannot reverse its disastrous course and treat its nurses fairly.””
Talks between the two sides will resume this week.