Hundreds of registered nurses in San Joaquin County’s health system will hold an unfair labor practice (ULP) strike on Friday, Jan.17, to protest their “management’s persistent undermining of the bargaining process,” according to a press release from the California Nurses Association (CNA) and National Nurses United.
Last year, the nurses filed a ULP charge against the county, claiming that management made unilateral changes outside of the bargaining process, jeopardizing the recruitment and retention of nurses, which, they say, has a direct impact on patient safety.
In December, after an investigation, the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), an administrative agency that oversees collective bargaining laws covering public employees, issued a complaint against San Joaquin County for committing unfair labor practices by making unilateral changes, according to CNA. The next step is for the county and the union to participate in a PERB mediation.
Nurses gave their employer advance notice for the strike on Jan. 7, according to the statement.
“We are holding an unfair labor practice strike because San Joaquin County’s divisive and unfair actions are damaging our ability to retain experienced nurses,” said Kelly Mertz, a registered nurse in the trauma unit at San Joaquin General Hospital (SJGH).
CNA represents more than 1,000 registered nurses across San Joaquin County, including public health and county jail nurses, and nurses at SJGH.
The nurses began negotiating for a new contract with the county in March, 2024, a month before their previous contract expired. Those negotiations are ongoing.
Correction: A previous version of this story stated incorrect reasons behind the proposed strike. It has been updated to reflect that it’s due to a complaint against the county charging unfair labor practices and efforts to undermine the bargaining process.