About 900 employees of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lānaʻi Community Hospital walked back into their jobs Thursday morning after a three-day strike.
“We really packed sidewalks yesterday," Matt Pelc, a CT tech at Maui Memorial and the chair of the United Nurses and Healthcare Employees of Hawaiʻi union, said on Wednesday. "That was great. Everyone driving by is honking in support.”
Employees at the three facilities work under the Maui Health System and its affiliate, Kaiser Permanente. They’re negotiating for safer staffing ratios and better wages to meet Maui’s high cost of living.
Though employees have returned to work, an agreement has not yet been reached and negotiations aren’t over. More meetings are planned over the next two months.
“We have our next bargaining date set for Nov. 14," said Pelc. "So when we get back to the table, we'll see where they stand and see if they value us enough to give us the staffing we need to run this hospital.”
While employees were on the picket lines, Maui Health brought in strike staff to keep the hospitals open.
“They've overstaffed for these three days compared to what we normally have for staffing for throughout the hospital," he said. "So it's kind of astonishing that they'll be willing to staff the right way for strike workers, but not for the workers who work here every day.”
Studies show that for every patient added to a nurse’s workload, patient mortality rates increase.
Pelc said unionized employees are hoping more strikes won’t be needed, but haven’t ruled it out.
“Members here are united, and they're willing to do whatever's necessary to get the contract that's going to keep the staff here, keep the people who have families here, instead of having to move off island for better paying, better quality jobs.”
