Officials from St. Francis Medical Center say they are ready to return to the bargaining table with the union representing the organization's striking nurses. St. Francis and nurses
will restart negotiationsA federal mediator has scheduled
new talks for 9 a.m. tomorrowBy Lyn Danninger
ldanninger@starbulletin.comNegotiations are scheduled for 9 a.m. tomorrow at the Hawaii Employers Council. The two sides have met only once, on Jan. 3, since the strike began Dec. 2.
St. Francis spokeswoman Maggie Jarrett said the hospital received a call from the federal mediator yesterday requesting a return to negotiations.
St. Francis Chief Executive Officer Sister Beatrice Tom said in a press release yesterday that she is "eager to begin the healing process of uniting nurses with the rest of the staff so the organization can fully resume its mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to the community."
Meanwhile, at least 100 of the striking St. Francis nurses were preparing to quit their jobs, according to Hawaii Nurses Association negotiators. The HNA and some of the striking nurses said at a news conference yesterday they would look for work at other Oahu hospitals beginning next week should St. Francis not return to the bargaining table soon and bargain in good faith.
"If the hospital doesn't return to the table there will be over 100 seasoned registered nurses that are going to be leaving to find work at other hospitals," said Vince Noren, a union negotiator for the St. Francis nurses.
HPU nursing professor Linda Beechinor said nurses who decide to leave should easily find jobs at other Oahu hospitals or on the mainland.
"It won't be a problem at all. I also know that a number of nurses have already left the islands. There has been a lot of recruiting here as well by mainland hospitals for nurses who are on strike," she said.
Union negotiators and officials from The Queen's Medical Center approved a back-to-work agreement yesterday that will have nurses returning to their posts by Jan. 24.
Under the terms of the agreement, which is contingent upon nurses ratifying their contract tomorrow, nurses will not lose seniority for time lost due to the strike.
"This weekend, unit managers will be contacting them with their schedules," said Caroldean Kahue, a union negotiator. "They return back to their same work work unit, with their same schedules."
The agreement also stipulated that nurses will not be required to work with the replacements flown in during the strike.
Returning nurses will take over as the replacements leave, the union said.
"The nurses go in the elevators and the replacements go down the stairs," said union spokesman Scott Foster.
The hospital is required to notify the mainland staffing agency that supplied the nurse of termination seven days in advance, said Queen's spokeswoman Lynn Kenton. Queen's could do so following the union's ratification vote tomorrow, she said.
St. Francis Healthcare System
Queen's Medical Center
Kuakini Health System