By Sabrina Singhapattanapong
DAILY BRUIN CONTRIBUTOR
[email protected]
Though the California Nurses Association’s goal is to
settle the nurses contract without a strike, nurses are prepared to
walk out if the UC does not propose a better contract, said Joe
Lindsay, CNA spokesman for the UC division.
Months of unsuccessful negotiations between CNA and UC officials
triggered CNA to issue a strike for May 29, while about 8,000
nurses have threatened to strike at all five UC medical centers,
including UCLA’s.
The UC views the CNA’s strike announcement as a
“disservice to patients,” according to a statement by
the UC Office of the President.
It is illegal for the nurses’ union to engage in a strike
until formal mediation procedures ““ that are used in
stalemate bargaining cases ““ are resorted to first, according
to UCOP.
Lindsay said CNA feels that the UC’s unfair negotiation
process was a violation of bargaining tactics.
The UC “frustrated” the course of the bargaining
process and undermined the ability of CNA to negotiate a contract,
he added.
“If the university is serious, (the contract) can be
settled within a matter of hours,” Lindsay said.
One major issue leading to Wednesday’s strike notice was
the university’s position on merit-based pay ““ a wage
system based on performance evaluations by superiors. Many nurses
feel this system is highly subjective and unfair.
“The merit system is unfair,” said UCLA nurse
Michelle Ross.
“It’s based on how well you get along with your
boss; it’s based on their budget.”
The UC remains committed to its performance-based system,
believing that it is the most effective and appropriate way to
reward nurses who deliver excellent patient care, said UC spokesman
Paul Schwartz.
All UC locations have explicit criteria and performance
standards specifically designed to minimize inappropriate
subjectivity in performance evaluations, according to UCOP.
In the most recent contract proposal, the UC offered nurses a 5
percent wage increase for all nurses and 1 percent wage increase
for nurses rated “excellent.” It also offered to
minimize mandatory overtime assignments and a better staffing
ratio.
While the university believes it has met all of CNA’s
requests, said UC spokesman Paul Schwartz, CNA negotiators said the
university offered nurses the same contract it has offered all
along.
In light of the May 29 strike date, all UC medical centers have
contingency plans to keep hospitals running, but non-emergency
surgeries must be rescheduled and patient loads reduced, according
to UCOP.
Since patient size will be reduced, the UCOP said staffing
reductions, which include emergency layoffs in nurses and other
patient care positions, may be implemented as well.
Both parties are scheduled to meet May 22 to continue
negotiations.