County Nurses Vote to Strike if No Accord Is Reached

As many as 4,000 nurses working in three Los Angeles County-run hospitals and the county’s network of clinics and correctional facilities will go on strike at 5 a.m. Tuesday, union officials announced, if a contract agreement with county officials cannot be reached before then.

At a meeting attended by about 500 nurses in Hollywood Thursday night, 94% voted in favor of a strike “unless we have an acceptable offer from the county,” said Abby Haight of the Service Employees International Union, Local 660, which represents the registered and supervising nurses.

A central issue in the dispute is salary increases, officials on both sides said. The nurses have asked for a 22% raise over the next two years; the county has offered 11.5%.

Union officials have charged that 1,000 of the county’s 5,000 nursing positions are currently vacant, putting inordinate demands on the nursing staff. County officials say less than 500 positions are unfilled. They say that is a reasonable vacancy rate.

“We’re asking for enough money to make the county an attractive place to work,” said Haight “And we’re asking the county to make a commitment to follow the state regulations regarding staffing.”

Elliot Marcus, a county negotiator, said the county’s salary offer is not its last, best offer. He accused the union of refusing to discuss several county proposals concerning performance evaluations, the wording of grievances and temporary assignments to other jobs.

“It’s a two-way street,” Marcus said. “They’re saying, ‘Address our issues. We don’t want to talk about yours.’ ”

The next negotiating session is scheduled Monday. The strike would affect County-USC Medical Center, Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, about 50 clinics and the county’s jails.

Negotiations began in July. The nurses’ last two-year contract expired in September. Haight said the top annual salary for a staff nurse, a middle-level position, is currently $29,412.