In what would be the largest California nurses? strike in the past four years, 1,300 registered nurses represented by the California Nurses Association are planning to hold a one-day walkout at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center today. Management has responded to the possibility of the strike by deciding to hire temporary replacement nurses at a cost of up to $2 million for five days, and declaring that a one-day strike will be met with a five-day lockout. Among the central issues raised by Long Beach nurses are staffing levels and schedules that do not allow them to provide the level and quality of care that patients need---claims strongly supported by a study published today by the American Medical Association.
See CHARLES ORNSTEIN, Los Angeles Times, October 22, 2002