Nurses union plans short strikes in California and Illinois

[April 28, 2015]  SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - A union representing nurses in California and Illinois said on Monday 6,400 members planned to walk off their jobs later this week for a series of one- and two-day strikes amid contract negotiations.

The planned strikes in Chicago, Los Angeles, Sacramento and other cities come amid tense labor negotiations between the California Nurses Association and its corollary, National Nurses United.

Issues in contention vary from location to location, but include salary, health benefits and nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, said Chuck Idelson, spokesman for the California Nurses Association.

Unless progress is made in contract negotiations over the next two days, union nurses will walk out on Thursday and Friday at Kaiser Permanente's Los Angeles Medical Center, Idelson said. They also plan to strike for one day on Friday at two hospitals owned by Providence Health and Services, St. Johns Hospital in Santa Monica and Little Company of Mary in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance.

One-day walkouts are also planned for the University of Chicago Medical Center on Thursday, and at hospitals owned by Sutter Health in Northern California, Idelson said.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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