Judge Sets Hearing on Nurses’ Pay Package

A Superior Court judge Tuesday refused to stop Ventura County from imposing a new compensation plan on nurses, but called on county officials to defend their actions at a hearing next month.

A week after the County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the new pay and benefits package, Judge Ken W. Riley ordered officials to prepare their legal case for a May 4 hearing. He will decide then whether to issue an injunction against the county’s action.

Until then, Riley left the pay package in place, saying it would cause no “irreparable harm” to the Ventura County Medical Center nurses.

Nurses, concerned that the new package gives administrators unprecedented latitude for layoffs, said they will return to court immediately if the hospital attempts to lay off health care workers before May 4.

Assistant County Counsel Leroy Smith said the hospital had no plans for layoffs before May 4. If cutbacks became necessary, the hospital would notify the nurses union in enough time to take their concerns back to Riley.

“That’s really what we wanted out of this,” said Don Nielsen, attorney for the California Nurses Assn. “I think we’ve gained leverage. The judge didn’t send us packing.”

However, the judge did reject the nurses’ request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the county from implementing the plan. The supervisors approved the measure after declaring that contract negotiations with the nurses union had broken down.

On Monday, the judge preserved the nurses’ right to strike, but required three days notice of any work action. Union leaders have voted to authorize a strike, but say they would rather return to negotiations.