UC hospital nurses OK strike on staffing levels

University of California hospital nurses voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike in a dispute about staffing levels, the California Nurses Assn. said Tuesday.

The vote, which ended Sunday night, allows the negotiating team to call a strike if it reaches a point where it feels that further talks are fruitless.

Beth Kean, director of the association’s University of California division, said the nurses are upset because UC has been cutting staff at all five hospitals for what appears to be financial reasons, even though the hospitals are profitable.

She accused officials of violating state patient-care laws by failing to staff above minimum patient-to-nurse ratios for some fragile patients who need extra care, including some transplant, surgical and maternity patients.

“It’s unsafe here every day,” Kean said. The association also has filed a complaint with the Public Employment Relations Board.

UC officials said the allegations are baseless.

“We comply with state law regarding staffing, and we think that our record indicates that adequate staffing is a priority for us,” said UC spokesman Paul Schwartz. He said each hospital has a committee in place to settle any staffing disputes and that these complaints should be handled at that level.

-- Evelyn Larrubia