(San Diego, CA) The following is a statement from Katie Langenstrass, Executive Director of United Nurses of Children’s Hospital (UNOCH) Teamsters Local 1699, on the Notice of Intent to Strike filed with Rady Children’s Hospital:

“Today, we officially filed our Notice of Intent to Strike and our dedicated nurses at Rady Children’s Hospital will be going on an unfair labor strike beginning Monday, July 22. This is not a decision we have taken lightly, but it is one that the hospital’s relentless refusal to value our critical work has forced upon us.

The reasons for this strike are clear and just: San Diego is the most expensive city in the country, and our nurses are struggling to make ends meet. Our members are significantly behind market value, with wages up to 28% lower than their counterparts in comparable hospitals.

This disparity is not only unfair but also unsustainable. Additionally, many of our nurses are paying as much as $1,000 a month on healthcare premiums, which is unacceptable for those working in healthcare.

Our nurses deserve to be compensated fairly for their skills, dedication, and the essential services they provide. We need to remain competitive to attract and retain skilled nurses. The hospital’s unwillingness to offer fair wages and benefits is driving away experienced nurses and making it difficult to recruit new talent.

This constant turnover jeopardizes the quality of patient care. The administration at Rady Children’s Hospital has left us no choice but to take this stand. We demand a fair contract, respect, and the ability to provide the best possible care to our patients. During this strike we will work closely with the hospital to ensure our patients are safe and cared for.”