Nurses at Los Robles hospital in Thousand Oaks announce 5 -day strike beginning Wednesday

Hundreds of nurses and other health care workers at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks are set to launch a five-day strike starting Wednesday morning.

Representatives of SEIU Local 121RN said the planned strike is driven by staffing shortages and what they described as attempts to intimidate union members during negotiations for a new contract. Saying that the hospital canceled the last scheduled bargaining session after union members notified them of the strike, they asserted the chances of an agreement before the work stoppage are non-existent.

“I don’t see how (a strike) can be avoided at this point,” said Tara Adams-Clarke, a Los Robles physical therapist and a member of the union bargaining team. Union nurses at West Hills Hospital & Medical Center in Los Angeles County and Riverside Community Hospital have also announced a strike. All three hospitals are operated by the for-profit HCA Healthcare system.

The strike is scheduled to begin 7 a.m. Wednesday and end at 7 a.m. Monday, Nov. 27. Union members say they’ll picket each morning in front of Los Robles including Thanksgiving Day.

The union represents about 800 nurses and other licensed health care professionals at Los Robles in Thousand Oaks. Adams-Clarke said it’s not clear exactly how many members will participate in the strike but said the action has drawn strong support.

In a written statement Thursday, Los Robles officials said they were disappointed at the strike plans and called it avoidable. They said they will draw on HCA’s nationwide resources to keep the hospital operational.

“Our doors will remain open throughout any labor union activities, and importantly, there will be no closure of any service lines at this time,” they said.

Los Robles CEO Natalie Mussi said in a letter to Thousand Oaks Mayor Kevin McNamee that backup staff has been contracted for the strike.

Adams-Clarke said the driving issue for union members is inadequate staffing. She contended the hospital falls out of state-mandated ratios for nurses on a daily basis in a contention the hospital has denied in the past.

“They don’t have enough staff to support the patients they have,” she said. “They’re putting the patients at risk and the nurses licenses at risk. It’s unacceptable.”

Union leaders also accuse the hospital and HCA of “union-busting” tactics and retaliation. They cited emails sent to employees, the removal of materials from union bulletin boards and efforts to curb union communication.

“They’re trying to confuse the membership and they’re trying to scare the membership,” Adams-Clarke said.

Los Robles officials described the claims of anti-union activities as "categorically untrue." They said union representatives who don't work at the hospital were banned from the grounds in response to a conflict over whether the strike vote could be held inside the hospital.

Mussi, in her letter to the mayor, said the hospital offered raises of 6% for the first year of the contract, 4.75% the second year and 3.25% the third year.

“It’s evident the union has intended to strike all along," 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: Los Robles nurses announce a 5-day strike starting Wednesday