Los Robles Regional Medical Center nurses reject contract deal, citing staffing concerns

Nurses at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks continued their seven-month contract fight by rejecting an agreement reached by bargaining teams representing Los Robles and the nurses union.

Officials of SEIU Local 121RN said the nurses voted against ratifying the deal on Friday, citing long-existing concerns over staffing levels at the for-profit hospital operated by HCA Healthcare.

Union officials said earlier in December the agreement reached by bargaining units included raises of nearly 17% over three years and provisions aimed at keeping staffing above state-mandated ratios. But a majority of the Los Robles nurses felt the staffing “guardrails” didn’t go far enough, said Rosanna Mendez, executive director of SEIU 121RN.

“From the outset of negotiations, nurses have sounded the alarm about unsafe assignments that put their patients at risk and produce enormous stress,” said Mendez in a written statement.

The vote comes after a five-day strike over the Thanksgiving holiday in which picketing nurses complained the hospital consistently falls short of statewide ratios. Los Robles has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The next steps appear unclear. A union spokesman said the vote means the nurses are headed back to the bargaining table. Los Robles officials said no future bargaining sessions are currently scheduled in a brief statement issued Wednesday.

"We believe we negotiated a fair agreement," they said.

Read more: Los Robles hospital pays $30.5M in settlement intended to stay confidential

In addition to the nurses, the union also represents a group of licensed health care professionals at Los Robles, including pharmacists, clinical laboratory scientists, physical therapists and others. Members in that unit voted in favor of the contract agreed to by bargaining teams, ratifying the pact and making it official.

Nurses at West Hills Hospital & Medical Center and Riverside Community Hospital also ratified their contract.

Los Robles nurses, however, were not satisfied their staffing concerns had been met, Mendez said.

"The hospital must do more to assure nurses that it will comply with the law, so that nurses can safely care for their patients,” she said.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

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This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Nurses at Los Robles hospital in Thousand Oaks reject contract deal