Nurses and assistants at the O‘ahu Care Facility are heading back to the bargaining table this week after a seven-day strike resulted in little to no change, according to union officials.
Registered nurses and certified nursing assistants who returned to work on Wednesday after striking found that the ongoing problems persisted, such as patients' medical files being undocumented, medications needing refills, and some medications missing.
OCF is a kupuna assisted living home with 82 beds in lower Makiki. Their union, Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association, represents 4,000 healthcare workers in Hawai‘i.
Daniel Ross, president of HNA, said the union would have a better idea later this week about how negotiations are going and whether a further strike is needed.
“My big concern of what’s going forward now is if we can’t get a deal soon enough that we are looking at a possible mass resignation,” Ross told HPR.
“Our members are talking about quitting already, and some have left since the negotiations started," he continued.
Ross said the facility employs nurses and aides below market rate, adding that CNAs make about $14 an hour. RNs make $33 an hour, he said.
The union is asking to raise the wage to $20 for CNAs and $40 for RNs.
“We’re hopeful they’re getting our message,” Ross said. "We get where they’re coming from. We’re not blaming them because it’s a new owner. We understand it’s a big jump because they were so far below market rate.”
The owner of the O‘ahu Care Facility could not be reached for comment.
Ross said the negotiations will continue on Monday and Wednesday.
