The contract for more than 5,700 registered nurses at Sharp Healthcare hospitals will expire at the end of the month. On Wednesday morning, dozens of nurses rallied and presented their demands to management in person.
The nurses wore blue t-shirts with the words “respect nurses” on the front, and their union logo on the back. They gathered outside Sharp Healthcare corporate headquarters in Kearny Mesa with a message for management.
“They just need to meet us halfway, and so far they have not done that,” said Andrea Muir, a registered nurse who heads up Sharp Professional Nurses Network.
Muir said the union is primarily asking for more competitive wages and a change in Sharp’s sick leave policy.
“It’s a higher likelihood we’re going to have exposure to illness, right? So the other employers that are health care systems in this area recognize that. They give double the state minimum. Sharp doesn’t feel that’s necessary,” Muir said.
Sharp declined an interview, but provided in the following statement:
“The parties have been engaged in collaborative and professional bargaining sessions over the past few weeks with the joint aim of reaching a fair contract. … The union’s proposal is not feasible, especially in light of the financial headwinds facing not-for-profit health care providers, including Sharp.”
After rallying outside, the nurses marched into the lobby of Sharp Healthcare headquarters to personally deliver their petitions to management.
Sharp executive Dan Rawlins accepted the petitions, and told the nurses, “We know that this is still part of the process and we hope to resolve this contract as rapidly and as fairly as we can.”
The nurses have five bargaining days, set to begin this Thursday and ending on Sept. 30 when their contract expires. If they haven’t reached a contract after that, Muir said they’re prepared to strike.
