HONOLULU (KHON2) — The nurses of Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children voted in favor of a strike over the weekend, according to the Hawaii Nursesʻ Association.
“The sentiment and frustration level of the nurses came through loud and clear in the vote,”
said Rosalee Agas-Yuu, HNA president. “The retaliation for speaking the truth and exposing
unsafe staffing issues has become unbearable. We will not be silenced. The strike will expose
Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s unfair labor practices and culture of retaliation, intimidation and
bullying to all in the community.”
The voting began on Friday and closed Sunday evening, after which HNA said an “overwhelming majority of the nurses are in favor of a strike.”
In a news release HNA said that they had been encouraging bedside nurses to document unsafe conditions or patient safety concerns and that had resulted in retaliation.
The union and nurses will decide the date and duration of the strike.
This is the second strike by the Kapiʻolani nurses in 2024, with the first being a one-week strike in January.
Kapiʻolani Medical Center provided the following statement before voting had ended. KHON2 has reached out for further comment.
“Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children continues to bargain in good faith by addressing the priorities of our nurses so they can benefit from a new contract. We value our nurses and, as always, we are focused on providing quality care for the families in our community. We remain committed to serving our patients.”