Nurses Threaten Strike as Checks Bounce

Nurses at two Huntington Park hospitals owned by the same physicians group have threatened to strike because they say their paychecks have bounced, in some cases twice, the California Nurses Assn. said.

About 80 nurses at Community and Mission hospitals in Huntington Park could participate in the strike, set for March 11, if their concerns about the owners’ ability to meet payroll are unresolved, said Charles Idelson, communications director for the union, on Tuesday.

The hospitals, which are less than two miles apart in the city of about three square miles, have a total of 190 beds and no emergency rooms.

The hospital owners are defaulting on their promises to the community and to the caregivers, Idelson said.

“We need to see some assurances that they really are secure and serious about operating on a regular basis.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, some checks were still bouncing, state Department of Industrial Relations officials said.

Both hospitals were purchased from Tenet Healthcare Corp. last year and turned over to Karykeion Inc., a physicians’ group, Dec. 31.

In addition to nurses, several of the hospitals’ nearly 400 employees -- including physicians and contractors -- were affected, said Ric Loya, chairman of the city’s Health and Education Commission.

The decision to strike came after nurses and hospital workers told union representatives that they were unable to deposit paychecks issued Friday. Hospital officials told them to wait until Monday.

But those who returned to the bank early this week found that funds still were insufficient, said Barbara Lewis, administrative vice president for Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers, which represents employees such as lab technicians and kitchen workers.

“The issue was, well, can we trust these guys?” said Jill Furillo, the nursing association’s Southern California director.

Seventeen checks bounced, said Edward Rubin, the principal owner of both facilities.

When Rubin realized that the money wired from overseas to the payroll account was delayed, he said, he warned employees to wait.

Rubin and hospital leaders met with staff members Monday and Tuesday to apologize, he said, and promised to settle any bank charges and include an extra $100 in their next paychecks.

On Tuesday, the Department of Industrial Relations sent an official to check on both hospitals, said Dean Fryer, a spokesman for the state labor commissioner.

“The problem has not been resolved, but we’re monitoring this closely,” Fryer said.

Idelson said plans to strike would stand until the employer could guarantee future financial stability.

“We’re very concerned about the future of [those hospitals] and healthcare services in the community,” Idelson said.

“Nurses are not going to want to stay in an environment where they’re not going to be paid.”

Representatives from the healthcare workers’ union were also trying to meet with hospital employers this week to ensure that checks don’t bounce again in nine days, when the next pay period ends, Lewis said.

Rubin said a strike was an extreme response to a one-time problem.

“We’re going to see to it ... that the money is in there long before” the next checks are issued, Rubin said, describing the recent glitch as “catastrophic for morale.”

City officials were scheduled to meet with hospital owners to discuss the situation Wednesday evening.