DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Gemini, a 2-year-old Sheltie, marched to Thomas Square along with her owner, Desiree Bautista, wearing a placard in support of the nursing strike. About 200 people, and several dogs, made the march this morning.
Nurses rally More than 300 striking nurses and their supporters took to the streets of Honolulu yesterday in a morale-boosting march and rally intended to highlight their message to the community.
for support
Other unions show solidarity
with the health-care workersBy Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.comAlmost 1,400 nurses at St. Francis Medical Center, The Queen's Medical Center and Kuakini Medical Center have been on strike since the first week of December.
Also taking part in the rally at Thomas Square following the march were representatives from a number of other Hawaii labor unions, including Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 5, Hawaii State Teachers Association, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, Musicians Union Local 667 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The march began at 8 a.m. in front of St. Francis and proceeded to Kuakini, where more nurses joined in. The group then moved on to Queen's, picking up more colleagues.
The nurses made one unscheduled stop at the State Capitol atrium, where they cheered and chanted for several minutes.
During the rally at Thomas Square, nurses from the three affected hospitals talked about problems within their own institutions as well as their reasons for supporting the strike. Hospitals' mandatory overtime policies and safe staffing ratios were most often mentioned by the nurses as the two major areas of disagreement with the hospitals.
Eric Gill, Local 5 financial secretary-treasurer, said the union has already filed a 10-day notice with Queen's regarding the union's intention to support the nurses on the picket line.
"There are people out there ready to help you," Gill told the nurses. "All you have to do is last one day longer than the company. That's all you have to do."
Local 5 will organize members to begin walking the Queen's picket line in support of the nurses beginning Monday afternoon, Gill said.
Teachers union President Karen Ginoza, who also spoke at the rally, characterized the nurses efforts as "David fighting a very stubborn Goliath."
"It's hard to go up against people who only think about the bottom line. Teachers know all about being understaffed. We applaud you, we support you and we'll be with you all the way," she said.
Leaflets calling on the nurses to lobby their elected officials, write letters and educate the public about the reasons for the strike were also distributed at the rally. Nurses received information about how to file for unemployment compensation, obtain a loan to cover bills and secure part-time work.
At the Capitol, a group of legislators led by Rep. Dennis Arakaki, D- Kalihi, and Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, D- Alewa Heights, said if the strike is not settled, they would be prepared to introduce legislation to address two major areas of disagreement, mandatory overtime and adequate staff-to-patient ratios.
"These issues should be resolved by the parties involved. If not, the Legislature will have to address these issues such as mandatory overtime and patient-staff ratio mandates," he said.
Arakaki said he has two legislative proposals that would deal with the issues.
"The first one has to do with prohibiting mandatory overtime. The other one relates to staffing ratios similar to what was introduced recently in California. A board or commission would be set up to help set the ratios," he said.
In California, state law mandates minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios which must be adopted by hospitals by 2004. Queen's spokeswoman Lynn Kenton said the hospital was contacted by the federal mediator Wednesday about resuming talks with the union.
"We did respond on the 19th saying we'd be open to meet with the association," Kenton said. "So we're just waiting for a date."
No new talks are scheduled at the other two facilities affected by the strike, Kuakini and St. Francis. The earliest the two sides could possibly meet would be after Christmas, said St. Francis spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett.
"The two federal negotiators will be taking a break for Christmas and will be available starting Dec. 26," she said.
Neither Kenton nor Jarrett had any comment on the march and rally.
St. Francis Healthcare System
Queen's Medical Center
Kuakini Health System
