HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nearly 2,000 nurses at Queen’s Medical Center in Punchbowl and West Oahu are voting on whether to authorize a strike after months of stalled contract negotiations.
The vote began today and will run through December 31.
Nurses have been working without a contract since June 30, according to the Hawaii Nurses’ Association (HNA).
The strike authorization vote follows unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a new three-year agreement.
Rosalee Agas-Yuu, a representative from the HNA, shared the emotional toll the situation is taking on nurses.
“The other day, I heard a nurse with less than five years in the field crying, devastated by how difficult things have become,” Agas-Yuu said. “She loves her job, but it’s taking a toll, and she’s unsure of how much longer she can continue.”
In response, the Chief Nursing Executive at Queen’s Medical Center said in a statement that the hospital is committed to reaching an agreement and does not want a strike.