Nurses demonstrated outside Kaiser Permanente’s medical center in Hollywood on June 23.  (photo by Edwin Folven )

Hundreds of nurses working at Kaiser Permanente’s Los Angeles Medical Center on Sunset Boulevard and their supporters held a one-day demonstration on June 23 to call attention to concerns about staffing and patient care.

The nurses, who are members of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, claimed they must work long hours and Kaiser Permanente does not have enough ancillary staff to support them. The nurses’ union is currently involved in labor negotiations with Kaiser Permanente.

The CNA/NNU claims that nurses at the Los Angeles Medical Center, 4867 W. Sunset Blvd., work 12.5-hour shifts and are frequently unable to take lunch breaks because there are no nurses to relieve them. The availability of protective equipment is also insufficient, the nurses claimed.

“In the last four months, we have seen 50 nurses leave our hospital due to the poor working conditions that put patient care in jeopardy,” said Tinny Abogado, a registered nurse who has worked at the Los Angeles Medical Center for 20 years. “I have spent two decades at this hospital caring for this community. It pains me to see experienced nurses leave our hospital.”

Kaiser Permanente disputed the claims in a lengthy statement. The hospital said the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented strain on the health care system.

“We are disappointed that the California Nurses Association, which represents approximately 1,200 nurses at our Los Angeles Medical Center, is calling on our nurses to walk away from their patients’ bedsides. It is unfortunate the union has chosen to attempt to disrupt patient care and service as a bargaining tactic, especially during a pandemic,” the statement read. “We continue to hire employees at a rate that aligns with membership growth and need, and to make significant investments to help increase the number of individuals entering the health care profession. We want to reassure our members and patients their care is our top priority.”

The hospital used temporary nursing staff and trained management to fill-in for the nurses participating in the demonstration. After the strike, the CNA/NNU issued a statement that said the nurses, “continue to want to bargain in good faith with Kaiser to improve patient care.”

The hospital echoed that sentiment.

“Kaiser Permanente has a long and productive history with organized labor. We’re proud to employ – and have contracts with – over 160,000 valued union-represented employees, more than any other health care organization in the country,” the statement from Kaiser Permanente read. “We look forward to continued discussions at the bargaining table because it is the best way to resolve differences and reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”