HONOLULU (KHON2) — Efforts to reach an agreement between Kapiolani Medical Center and the nurses’ union to avert a strike have once again failed.
Hawaii Nurses Association President Rosalee Agas-Yuu said, “There was a lot of conversation about how important patient care is to them on the management side. Not much happened. Today didn’t feel like there was going to be much movement.”
The stalemate left the union with no choice but to proceed with a 24-hour strike, starting at 7 a.m. on Friday, September 13.
In a statement, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children Chief Operating Officer Gidget Ruscetta expressed disappointment. “We are extremely disappointed that the Hawaii Nurses’ Association decided to end talks early, which will lead to a strike and lockout for our nurses. Our Kapi’olani negotiation team came prepared to stay as long as possible today to reach a deal that would immediately benefit our nurses. Unfortunately, after less than three hours, HNA ended negotiations for the day.”
Kapiolani Medical Center said that if the strike occurs, the lockout will affect all employees covered by the agreement that expired in November 2023, not just those who strike. The nurses will not be allowed to return to work until they accept the agreement already on the table.
Agas-Yuu criticized the lockout, stating, “It’s a whole different story. It shows something is wrong. It’s like you’re bullying these nurses into submission.”
Kapiolani also warned that if the lockout extends beyond September, nurses would lose their medical and dental coverage, a move HNA described as retaliatory.
“What are they trying to do? That is the ultimate retaliation. Now you’re trying to take away more things from the nurses,” Agas-Yuu said.
Patients are concerned about the impact of the lockout. Justin Jansen’s wife was admitted to Kapiolani two weeks ago, and their premature newborn son has been in the NICU for about a week.
“We’re really thankful for the nurses who are fighting for quality care for us,” Jansen said. “They have been instrumental in saving my wife’s life and our baby’s life. Keeping them alive.”
Jansen expressed unease about the replacement nurses being brought in during the strike. “We don’t know what the qualifications are of the nurses who are going to be coming in here. We don’t know where they’re coming from or what they’ve been exposed to,” he said. “We know how fragile our baby is, and all the babies are.”
Jansen added that the current nurses have gone above and beyond in their care. “We’re really appreciative of the nurses for being thoughtful in this frustrating situation,” he said.
HNA mentioned that they have a strike fund to cover a portion of the nurses’ salaries but are unsure how long it will last.