Las Vegas nurses vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike at HCA MountainView Hospital

RNs at MountainView Hospital demand HCA address patient safety concerns

Registered nurses at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. voted 98 percent in favor to authorize their nurse bargaining team to call a strike should they deem it necessary, as HCA has refused to address numerous patient safety issues. Nurses at MountainView Hospital are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

Nurses say they're frustrated with management's refusal to move forward on key nurse proposals regarding nurse retention and ensuring meal and rest breaks for nurses. RNs engaged at the bargaining table say HCA has failed to meet their demands, which they say are essential to safe, high-quality patient care at their hospital.

"We have been at the bargaining table for more than four months and HCA is refusing to take the steps necessary to improve conditions for nurses and patients at our hospital," said Elizabeth Rodriguez, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit. "We see patient care suffer when we don't have the resources and support we need. As patient advocates we are compelled to take this strike authorization vote to make it clear to HCA that we are serious about patient care. Every patient deserves the highest quality of care, and HCA has a moral and ethical responsibility to do everything in its power to make that possible."

A strike vote does not mean that a strike is currently scheduled. Rather, this vote authorizes the bargaining team of nurse representatives to call a strike if they deem it necessary to successfully resolve contract negotiations. If nurses decide to move forward with a strike, they would provide hospital management with 10 days' notice to allow time for planning for patient care. At any time in the process, the nurses have the option of calling off the strike if an agreement with HCA is reached.

Nurses began negotiating their new contract with HCA in April. Their most recent contract expired June 30. NNOC/NNU represents around 950 nurses at MountainView Hospital.

Registered nurses at MountainView Hospital are among nearly 10,000 NNOC/NNU-represented RNs who are currently in negotiations with HCA for new contracts at 17 hospitals in six states. A for-profit company, HCA is one of the nation's largest and wealthiest health care providers.

National Nurses Organizing Committee is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates also include California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.