Union nurses plan picket at North Hawaii Community Hospital

Nearly 100 unionized nurses at Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea have given notice of plans to hold an informational picket next Saturday.

The Hawaii Nurses’ Association, which represents the registered nurses, says it is frustrated with the lack of progress on a new contract after five months of negotiations. The notice is legally required 10 days ahead of the picket scheduled from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on May 17.

The nurses’ contract expired on March 31. Negotiations have been ongoing since mid-December.

“We respect our nurses’ right to participate in lawful protected activities such as their scheduled informational picket,” said Stephany Vaioleti, president of Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital, in a statement. “Since February, we have worked constructively with HNA to reach an agreement for our nurses at Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital. We will continue to bargain in good faith to reach a mutually acceptable agreement that provides wage increases and other improvements that support our nurses and their profession.”

HNA says the nurses are seeking the same high standards of patient care and nurse-to-patient ratios that are in place at The Queen’s Medical Center on Oahu.

“This is a health equity issue. We believe there should be one standard of care across the state,” said Rosalee Agas-Yuu, HNA president, in a news release. “Neighbor island residents already face challenges with access to quality care. When North Hawaii residents are admitted to Queen’s in Waimea, they deserve to receive the same quality of care as those Oahu.”

She added, “Our elected officials, especially those in our legislature, have said state health policy is not their kuleana. They have determined patient safety should be a collective bargaining issue, so we will continue to advocate for our patients. We hope to reach an agreement on a contract that has the same safe nurse-to-patient standards of care that Oahu patients have to avoid the picket.”

A strike by nearly 2,000 nurses working at two Queen’s hospitals on Oahu was averted in the final hours in January.

HNA says when nurses are assigned too many patients on their shift, they cannot provide the attention and care each needs, which results in diminished quality of care and higher chances of overlooking symptoms that should be treated immediately.

Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea is an acute-care hospital with a level 3 trauma center and primary care clinic.