Due to understaffing, Stanford called nurses every four hours to tell them if they needed to report to work. Some nurses worked 12-15 hour shifts.
According to Borges, traveling nurses are paid double what staff nurses receive.
“Stanford invests in your nurses. We are the biggest return on their investment,” she said.
Borges asked where Stanford found replacement nurses to replace striking nurses, given the staffing shortages hospitals are currently facing.
CRONA said nurses informed their hospitals of their intention to strike on April 13, after Stanford management “failed to fairly negotiate union proposals to address staffing shortages, create sustainable nursing careers and supporting world-class patient care”.
The nurses’ employment contracts expired on March 31.
Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services for Stanford Health Care Dale E. Beatty and Jesus Cepero, Senior Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Officer for Stanford Children’s Health, said in a joint statement that the hospitals will remain open with qualified replacement nurses.
“We respect the legal right of our nurses to participate in a work stoppage, but we are deeply disappointed that the union has chosen this path,” the statement said. “A union work stoppage is a serious event that affects our patients, our families and our colleagues. The impact can be profound, long-lasting and costly. We have worked diligently to reach a mutually acceptable contractual agreement and have made significant progress at the bargaining table thus far.”
CRONA said it plans to picket hospitals and hold a press conference at 9 a.m. Monday outside Stanford Hospital at Welch Road in Pasteur Drive.
Return to Palo Alto Online for more coverage of the nurses’ strike later today.
