Northridge Nurses Stage Picket

An estimated 250 nurses at Northridge Hospital staged an informational picket July 2 to draw attention to what they say are staffing shortages at medical facilities serving the San Fernando Valley and Ventura County. The nurses belong to Local 121RN of the Service Employees International Union, which represents more than 1,500 nurses at Northridge Hospital, St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard and St. John’s Pleasant Valley in Camarillo. SEIU nurses have been negotiating with parent company Catholic Healthcare West since February about contract proposals to relieve understaffing, among other issues. “We made several proposals to ensure RNs would be available all the time, including during hard-to-staff shifts, but management rejected them all outright,” according to Sue Weinstein, head of the nurses’ negotiating team.