Hundreds of nurses and healthcare workers on the neighboring island went on strike for three days

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hundreds of nurses and other health care workers at major hospitals on the Neighbor Islands are planning a three-day strike in November, the United Nurses and Health Care Employees of Hawaii (UNCHEH) announced Thursday.

Most essential workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital will walk the picket lines at 7 a.m. daily from Monday, November 4th through Thursday, November 7th.

The union said the hospital’s nurse-to-patient ratio was unsafe, that workers were burnt out and that workers were leaving the medical field entirely to find better-paying jobs.

They also advocate for better wages for low-paid workers, including intake clerks, receptionists, case managers, financial advisors, office workers and more.

UNHCEH has been negotiating with Maui Health, which is under Kaiser Permanente, since July and has been unable to reach an agreement.

The contract expired at the beginning of the month.

“Kaiser continues to operate Maui Health under generally varying, lower standards: lower wages, benefits and standards of care, resulting in a more unstable patient care environment with high turnover and chronic staffing shortages,” the union said in a press release.

The union pointed to Kaiser’s recent contract agreement with nurses in California, which provides the same patios for nurses and patients they demand.

Last month, union officials said 98% of their members voted “yes” to strike.

After contract negotiations failed on Thursday, the strike was announced with ten days’ notice.

“Since COVID, the community has been doing poorly. This year alone, rents on Maui have increased by approximately 40% due to these fires. We are losing staff left and right. Many people moved away from the island because they couldn’t afford to live here. We are trying to ensure that nurses and health workers can afford to stay and care for our ohana,” said UNHCEH Chairman Matt Pelc.

The United Nurses and Health Care Employees of Hawaii (UNHCEH), an arm of the United Nurses Association of California (UNAC), represents all nurses, support staff, imaging technicians and pharmacists at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

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