Pacifica Hospital Avoids Nurses Strike

A planned 10-day strike has been called off at Pacifica Hospital of the Valley in Sun Valley, the hospital announced Thursday. Service Employees International Union Local 121RN, representing more than 200 nurses at the hospital, reached a tentative agreement with hospital officials late Thursday night. The strike was set to begin March 5. Nurses with SEIU Local 121 RN cite declining hospital services as a source of frustration, most recently the closure of the hospital’s labor and delivery department last year. Union members must still ratify the agreement, the release said. “There was true compromise by both sides to reach this agreement and serves as a foundation for PHV and the union to build on going forward,” Precious Mayes, chief executive at Pacifica Hospital, said in a statement. “With the distraction and divisiveness of strike threats now gone, we look forward to continuing our focus in delivering the high-quality patient care that our community expects of us.”