The workers and Sutter Health have been negotiating since June, according to the California Nurses Association.
More than 8,000 Sutter Health nurses and health care workers are planning a one-day strike Monday at more than a dozen Northern California healthcare facilities for better health and safety standards amid the COVID-19 pandemic they say has led to “moral distress” among workers. After 10 months of contract negotiations, the workers are urging management to invest in “pandemic readiness protections” including adequate stockpiles of personal protective equipment, increased nursing staff and an equal voice on health and safety committees. “I hope by going out on strike it finally moves Sutter to take nurses seriously. We deserve a strong contract not only to recruit nurses but to retain nurses we have now,” said Renee Waters, a nurse for 26 years at Sutter Roseville Medical Center, emphasizing that the pandemic has put a magnifying glass on the needs of health care workers.
