San Ramon Regional Medical Nurse Centers To Picket Thursday

SAN RAMON, CA — Nurses at San Ramon Regional Medical Center will join nearly 3,000 other nurses across California to picket what they say are unsafe and inequitable staffing and training conditions.

The California Nurses Association is organizing protests Thursday at six California hospitals run by Tenet Healthcare Corporation. The picketing is informational, and does not indicate a plan to strike, according to CNA. The union is currently in contract negotiations with Tenet.

According to a union news release, nurses in San Ramon and other Tenet hospitals often work 13-hour shifts with no meal or rest breaks, and hurt themselves trying to move patients. Nurses are demanding lift support to help move patients, rapid-response nurses on each shift to respond to emergencies, scheduled rest and meal breaks during shifts, and longer training orientations for new hires, depending on experience.

“Tenet nurses across California are fighting for their patients and their communities,” CNA President and RN Sandy Reding said in a statement. “Tenet’s multibillion dollar profits are made on the backs of nurses who give tirelessly day-in and day-out and the patients who they are shortchanging. Tenet can afford to provide the necessary resources to improve both the retention of experienced nurses and the quality of care at its hospitals. Union nurses across California stand in solidarity with their demands for appropriate staffing and training.”

“Our hospital is in full operation and open for all services,” Tenet spokesperson Patti Tanner said in an email. “Our team’s focus today, as it is every day, is on providing exceptional quality patient care. We are currently involved in bargaining with the union and will continue to negotiate in good faith in hopes of reaching a successful contract. Our focus is on providing high quality healthcare to our community and a positive, safe work environment for our employees, as has always been our priority.”

The picket at the San Ramon Regional Medical Center will take place from 12 to 2 p.m. Thursday.