Nurses launch strikes and reject contracts at major hospitals

Nurses at multiple medical facilities are engaging in labor actions following stalled contract negotiations. In Santa Rosa, California, hundreds of nurses represented by the Staff Nurses Association (SNA) began a 48-hour strike at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on Tuesday. The union is demanding competitive pay and guaranteed breaks, alleging that current compensation is approximately 10% lower than at competing hospitals like Sutter and Kaiser. The hospital serves as the only Level II Trauma Center for the North Coast region, covering Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, and Marin counties.

In Boston, nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital rejected the hospital’s ‘last, best and final’ contract offer after two days of voting. While the Massachusetts Nurses Association stated their priority is returning to the bargaining table with Mass General Brigham management, the union’s strike authorization remains active. Hospital management expressed disappointment with the vote outcome but stated they remain committed to long-term sustainability and providing uninterrupted patient care.