Posted at 10:45 a.m., Thursday, May 17, 2001

Moloka'i nurses ready for extended strike

Associated Press

KAUNAKAKAI, Hawai'i — Nurses at Moloka'i's only hospital say they are prepared to remain on strike for as long as it takes to resolve the stalemate between their union and employer.

Six nurses at Moloka'i General Hospital walked off the job Saturday after talks between the Hawai'i Nurses Association and the Queen's Medical Center, which owns and operates the hospital, broke down May 8.

Nurses decided to strike because the hospital refused to give them a one-time $350 bonus and 1 percent raise. They have not had a pay increase in three years.

The hospital is prepared for a three-week strike, said co-medical director Dr. Phillip Reyes.

Striking nurse Lorraine Pescaia, said she was prepared to strike for three weeks. "It's not going to be an easy thing, but I'll do it if we have to."

The picketing nurses say they are pleased by the public support, as people drop off food and drinks.

The hospital has been covering nursing shifts with the help of two administrative nurses and another registered nurse. "Our hospital is functioning," Reyes said yesterday.

But the strike has put an end to admissions, and Reyes estimated about four cases had been transferred off-island. Twelve long-term-care patients remain at the hospital.

Moloka'i nurses say they are the lowest-paid in the state, at $25 an hour. Their counterparts at Queen's Medical Center on O'ahu make about $28 and will receive $1 more in November.

Hospital administrators have said 30-bed Moloka'i General loses more than $2 million a year and relies on subsidies from the state and Queen's Health System.