Nurses Lose Ruling in Pact Dispute

Nine months and 28 meetings of contract talks gave Ventura County the right to impose an unwanted pay and benefits package on its nurses, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday.

“It seems to the court that after nine months . . . the county was justified in breaking off negotiations,” Judge Richard D. Aldrich said.

The judge’s decision frustrated Ventura County Medical Center nurses, who have threatened to strike if the compensation dispute is not resolved. Nurses will meet next week to discuss their next step.

“A lot of it depends on whether the county will come back to the bargaining table and bargain with us,” said Don Nielson, attorney for the California Nurses Assn.

County officials said they don’t expect to rush back into negotiations, which were stalled for most of the past year. “I think there will be a cooling-off period for the next few weeks,” said LeRoy Smith, assistant county counsel.

Frustrated by the negotiations impasse, the County Board of Supervisors imposed a compensation package on the nurses two months ago. The nurses union sued, arguing that the county had not negotiated in good faith.

“They were saying to the union the only contract you can agree to is one that gives the county complete discretion,” said Thomas M. Sharpe, a Fresno lawyer representing the union.

When the nurses did not agree, the county imposed an agreement that essential “emasculated” the union, Sharpe said.

“They have excluded the union from participation in issues which the union has a right to negotiate on,” he said. The pay agreement leaves administrators with discretion on scheduling and wage issues, he said.

Smith denied that charge and said the county had tried mediation and repeated meetings to reach an agreement.

Before Friday’s hearing began, the nurses and the county settled one of the issues contention: whether nurses can strike. In a compromise measure, both sides agreed that the nurses should provide three days notice of any strike action.

County officials said the three days would give them enough time to try to block a strike.

“If we get the 72 hours notice, we’ll still go back and seek an injunction to prevent the strike,” Smith said.