Kapiolani Medical Center nurses faced with decision on whether or not to strike

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The possibility of a nurses’ strike lingers at Kapiolani Medical Center.

Nurses will vote Thursday on whether or not they will strike in the middle of a pandemic. They say they’ve lost confidence in the hospitals management, adding that the hospital is dismissing their concerns.

The Hawai’i Nurses Association represents 725 nurses at the hospital.

Two weeks ago, Kapiolani Medial Center presented their last and best contract offer to the association. It was a 3-year deal with a 5% pay raise, and $500 performance incentive payment.

But the Union still didn’t seem satisfied, saying there were “other outstanding issues” that were not addressed in the offer.

[Read a previous report: Kapiolani Medical Center puts up final contract offer in ongoing negotiations]

The hospital CEO said nurses there are paid on average $124,000, or $168,480 with benefits, and they have also reduced the number of times N95 masks are sanitized and reissued down to three, which is well within CDC and manufacturer guidelines.

In an email response Tuesday night, Martha Smith, CEO of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, said: “We have bargained in good faith with HNA throughout the process and look forward to our next meeting with HNA and the federal mediator on January 13.”

“We truly hope we can avoid a strike. However, should the union choose to go that route, we have made the necessary preparations and have contingency plans in place for qualified temporary staffing to ensure there is no impact on patient care or services at Kapi’olani,” Smith added.