HONOLULU (KHON2) — About 600 nurses represented by the Hawaii Nurses’ Association/OPEIU Local 50 have launched a one-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike at Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu.
The strike began at 6:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 13, and will continue until 8:30 p.m.
The nurses are protesting what they describe as hospital management’s retaliation, intimidation, and coercion for reporting unsafe staffing levels and a failure to bargain in good faith.
This action follows a vote in which 96 percent of the hospital’s nurses approved the strike.
The strike marks the second ULP strike by Kapiolani nurses this year.
The nurses have been working without a union contract since November 2023. The union alleges that Kapiolani management threatened an illegal lockout in response to the strike vote.
“The management’s failure to negotiate fairly not only threatens the well-being of our nurses but also endangers our patients and the broader community,” said a union spokesperson.
The nurses are calling for immediate attention to their concerns regarding unsafe staffing and fair contract negotiations.
A petition to Gov. Josh Green asking him to help end the lockout was made and can be found here.