On July 8th, after the labor contract negotiations broke down, nurses at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego authorized the union to call for a strike.
Representing over 1500 nurses at the hospital, the United Nurses Union of Children’s Hospitals stated that despite months of negotiations, they have been unable to reach a “fair contract” with the hospital and therefore hope to exert pressure on the hospital through a strike.
Katie Langenstrass, Executive Director of Local 1699 of the union, told City News, “Rady Children’s Hospital has pushed us to take this step… Our members are passionate about their work and patients. However, the hospital continues to underestimate their dedication and skills, leaving us no choice. Despite the hospital’s total operating revenue reaching $1.6 billion in 2023, they still refuse to fairly compensate our members. Our nurses have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. This is simply unfair.”
As of July 11th, the union is still deciding on the specific timing of the strike. The union stated that the strike would result in longer wait times within the hospital, disruption to patient care, and the need to reschedule some appointments and surgeries.
Rady Children’s Hospital is the only children’s hospital in the San Diego area with 511 beds. In the June rankings by U.S. News & World Report, they entered the top ten best children’s hospitals in the country for the first time. The hospital’s five specialties have consistently ranked in the top ten for several years. In the 2023 rankings, their cardiology and heart surgery ranked third, orthopedics and neonatology ranked sixth and seventh respectively, neurology and neurosurgery ranked eighth, and diabetes and endocrinology also ranked eighth.
The union also mentioned that hospital staff have been experiencing a long-standing shortage of personnel due to low wages and continually rising medical costs. Over the past five years, the co-payment for employee health insurance has increased by nearly 34%.
Marie Wahl, a registered nurse at Rady Children’s Hospital, told City News, “We have been lagging behind in wages for years, and it’s been difficult to retain talented nurses. Many of our colleagues leave after one to two years to pursue higher-paying positions at other hospitals. This constant turnover has affected patient care and placed an unfair burden on those of us who remain. This strike is not just about wages, it’s about patient care.”
Reporters at Dajiyuan have reached out to Rady Hospital for comment, and the article will be updated upon receiving a response.