Nurses Locked Out of Hospital

Registered nurses that participated in a one-day strike yesterday were locked out of Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller’s Children Hospital Friday morning, as they attempted to return to work a day after picketing.

Among several nurses that arrived at the hospital this morning were chief nurse Mary Bailey and RN Margie Keenan, each of whom have been at the bargaining table during the negotiating process.

Bailey, Keenan, and other nurses were made aware that they would not be allowed to return to work until December 27 before leaving the premises peacefully.

“We were kind of expecting it but we feel that it’s unfair and unneeded,” Keenan said. “It was punitive. They just wanted to punish the people that went on strike.”

“We were just showing that we were available to work,” Bailey said. “We’re ready to work, they just don’t want us there.”

Registered nurses and LBM are currently in a contract dispute, and RN’s have been working without a contract since September.

Long Beach RN’s sent a strike notice to the hospital 14 days prior to the strike, and LBM responded with a notice of their own, notifying nurses that if they participate in the strike, they will not be able to immediately return to work.

“You have the right to make your own decision about whether or not to participate in the strike or to continue working during the strike, and we will not interfere with your exercise of that decision,” LBM Chief Executive Officer Diana Hendel wrote in the notice. “Should you choose to strike, however, you should know that the law protects our right to hire replacement workers.”

“We will temporarily replace strikers,” added Hendel. “Our contract with the staffing organization requires that we employ such replacements for a minimum of five days. Therefore, you may not be reinstated immediately following the cessation of the strike.”

Nurses and LBM remain separated on issues dealing namely with patient care, but including salary and benefits.

However, Bailey and Keenan are both primed to return to the negotiating table.

 “We go back to work on December 27 and I’m optimistic that Memorial will come back to the table and deal with our issues regarding patient safety,” Bailey said.