Wahiawa nurses ready to strike Monday

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

With no new talks scheduled this weekend, the 65 nurses at Wahiawa General Hospital are prepared to strike at 7 a.m. Monday if no contract settlement is reached.

The Hawai'i Nurses' Association, which represents the nurses, and hospital management last met with a federal mediator on Wednesday. But talks broke off when the hospital rejected the nurses' "bottom-line" proposal.

Sue Scheider, collective bargaining director for the Hawai'i Nurses' Association, said yesterday that the nurses are willing to go back to the bargaining table this weekend, but had not heard from management. Hospital officials could not be reached for comment.

The 162-bed facility is the only 24-hour primary and emergency care medical facility between 'Ewa and Kahuku.

Scheider said the two sides are not that far apart, particularly on the wage issue. But she said the major sticking points are in the benefit package, including health insurance, longevity steps, and access to retiree benefits.

Wahiawa nurses are paid about $28.60 an hour and any proposed wage increases have been offset by management plans to increase nurses' share of healthcare costs, Scheider said.

"I think that there's still some movement that can be made," Scheider said. "All that we're asking for is a package that's on the low end of what the other area hospitals have, and I mean very low end."

She added that the hospital has not said why it has rejected the nurses' proposals. Scheider said many of the nurses have other jobs and are prepared to leave the hospital should they strike.

"It's not Monday yet," Scheider said. "It's still possible that we'll get called back (this weekend), but there isn't anything definite that's out there."