HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nurses at Kauaʻi’s Wilcox Medical Center may go on strike, with over 76% of nurses voting to authorize the picket against unfair labor practices.
Voting for the 159-person nursing team concluded at 8 p.m. on Jan. 1 and lasted five days.
The Hawaiʻi Nurses Association, which represents Wilcox’s nurses, have been in negotiations with the hospital since May 2024. The nurses’ contract expired in August.
This vote comes shortly after nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center in Punchbowl and West Oʻahu vote to strike. Both Queen’s and Wilcox are operated by Hawaiʻi Pacific Health.
“Hawaiʻi Pacific Health has the capacity and resources to fix this problem, as they did for the patients at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu. “Don’t patients and their families on Kauaʻi deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity?”
The union has filed unfair labor practice complaints against Wilcox with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the hospital of unlawfully interfering with the rights of employees who request union representation and illegally retaliating against bargaining unit employees.
HNA also accuses Wilcox of barring off-duty nurses from accessing their worksite to speak with their fellow union members, which would be a violation of their federally protected rights.
Among the alleged rights violations, nurses also cite staffing ratios as a motivator to strike.
“HPH continues to disrespect its nurses by forcing us to work in unsafe conditions. Ultimately, the people who suffer the most are our patients,” said Wilcox nurse Jessi Dettle. “This decision to strike is not being taken lightly. We have to make the difficult choice to stand up to the bullies in HPH administration for what is right for our communities and our families.”
Staffing issues create unsafe conditions not just for the nurses themselves, but for patients as well, according to Belgica Heredia, another RN at Wilcox.
“Nurses and doctors are the backbone of our healthcare system, tirelessly advocating for the safety and wellbeing of every patient,” Heredia said. “Safe staffing ratios aren’t just a workplace issue, they’re a matter of life and health for our communities.”
The union did not provide any further information on a possible strike.
KHON2 has reached out to Hawaii Pacific Health for a statement.