WAILUKU, Hawaii (KHON2) — Roughly 900 Maui hospital workers intend to go on strike starting at 7 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 4.
The nurses’ union said about 60% of the workers from Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital will walk out for a three-day unfair labor practice strike.
“We are fighting for safer staffing, we are fighting for our community to receive the care that they deserve, we’re fighting for better wages for everybody in our union to be able to make a livable wage on Maui,” said Melissa Robinson, Maui Memorial Medical Center RN.
She said emergency department nurses are taking on more patients than they used to.
“There’s typically two nurses in a pod now, and a pod holds eight to nine patients, so if a critical patient comes into the hospital and one of those nurses has to dedicate all their time to that patient, it leaves the other nurse in their pod taking care of seven to eight patients, and it’s not safe,” Robinson added.
Our nursing teams review the census and current patient and staffing mix, including patient acuity and volume, to allocate appropriate staffing resources tailored to meet the needs of each unit. This happens around the clock daily to help ensure the highest level of care for our patients, and patient and clinician safety. We share the same goal as our nursing staff—to provide the best care for our patients. We will continue to bargain in good faith, negotiate, and have in-depth discussions. We are committed to collaborating on a flexible staffing model that prioritizes our patients’ needs, utilizes the knowledge and insight of our nurses and nurse leaders, and allows us to be responsive to the diverse and fluctuating needs of our patients and staff as the only acute care hospital serving three islands.
Maui Health
The strike line will include nurses, pharmacists, administrative staff, physical, speech and occupational therapists and others.
The union said its bargaining team proposed the same staffing ratios that Kaiser agreed to in its contract with RNs in California and said they want to be paid equal to what Kaiser clinic workers who work across the street.
“The Kaiser workers get anywhere from 10% to 30% more pay than the acute care hospital owned by Kaiser Foundation,” said Rowan Funes, Emergency Department nurse at Maui Memorial.
Maui Health said it is a separate employer from the Kaiser Permanente entities and the goal is to reach an agreement with the union providing market-competitive compensation.
“We are the only hospital on this island, and it’s so important for us to make this hospital best that it can be for our family, our patients and for the staff. You know, we want people to spend years working for the hospital, feel proud, working for the hospital,” Funes added.
Union workers said they believe roughly 30 to 40 percent of staff leave after the first year due to staffing and low wages.
“These are nurses that were born and raised on Maui and went to school here,” Robinson added.
“The cost of living here is terrible, and after that devastation that we had in Lahaina, everything is just skyrocketing here, and that’s why people leave to go look for that special place out of paradise,” said Maui Memorial worker China Kapuras.
Maui Health said its hospital, ER, and clinics will remain open and operating as usual, and has a plan in place to ensure care including a temporary workforce of experienced and highly qualified healthcare professionals.
Maui Health said patients will be notified of any appointment changes.