Essential workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center are scheduled to walk off the job Monday morning if a new collective bargaining agreement is not reached by then.
Unless a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed to in advance, many essential workers at Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital will be forced to work for three days starting at 7 a.m. Monday before returning to work Nov. 7. are planning a strike. .
Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital all operate under the Maui Health banner and are managed by Kaiser Permanente, which also operates other Kaiser-branded medical facilities on Maui.
Kaiser Permanente took over management of Maui Health from the state in 2017, union representatives said, although the leadership change came after Kaiser promised to raise standards of care. It is said that the promise has not been kept. Maui health care workers are covered by separate contracts, which union representatives say means they are paid less than other employees, receive fewer benefits, and , facing the problem of high patient-to-staff ratios.
Workers say this has led to lower standards of care and increased burnout in the Maui Health System, among other issues.
In a statement released Wednesday by the Maui Department of Health, hospital representatives said negotiations are ongoing and they believe they can reach an agreement before Monday’s strike.
“We remain committed to continuing negotiations in good faith to reach a mutually beneficial agreement to avoid a strike,” the statement said. “Our negotiating team stands ready to have productive discussions during the remaining scheduled sessions, including October 31st, November 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.”
Union bargaining teams from Maui Health and the Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Workers Union met 19 times in 14 weeks and collectively reached more than 20 tentative agreements, hospital officials said.
Hospital representatives added that Maui Memorial Medical Center is operated by Maui Health, a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors that includes members of the Maui community. Maui Health is affiliated with Kaiser Permanente but is a separate organization.
“While the partnership provides efficiencies, Maui Memorial Medical Center operates independently as a community-based hospital,” the statement said. Responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of hospitals and clinics, the company contracts with Kaiser Permanente for “back office support” in areas such as technology, EMR, and supply chain/purchasing. As such, decisions regarding negotiations with employees are handled by the Maui Department of Health. ”
Hospital representatives said the hospital’s goal is to “reach an agreement with UNHCEH/UNAC that will provide our employees with market-competitive compensation and benefits, while at the same time to ensure that we can continue to provide access to the quality health care that our communities need and deserve.” We take these discussions very seriously and are deeply invested in ensuring positive outcomes for our employees and communities. ”
Union representatives say the gap between the two sides remains wide, with high patient-to-staff ratios and low pay being the biggest issues facing workers who are planning a strike next week.
The union reportedly represents approximately 900 employees of the Maui Health System on Maui and Lanai, including registered nurses, social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language therapists, and others. This includes medical professionals, MRI and mammography technicians, financial counselors, clerks, receptionists, and more.
Melissa Pua, an emergency room nurse at Maui Memorial, said she plans to quit her job Monday, primarily due to staffing concerns.
“Personally, my biggest concern is the staff to patient ratio. Being able to have more staff on each shift,” she said. “At this time, there is nothing to protect patient-to-staff ratios.”
Melissa Robinson, a registered nurse at Maui Memorial, also said she and her colleagues are “pretty thin” and are paid less than their colleagues at the Kaiser clinic just down the road.
“Hospital nurses aren’t making what nurses in clinics are making right now,” she said, but at the same time, “we’re just asking for the same ratios as other Kaiser facilities.” ” he added.
Nurse-to-patient ratios vary by facility, but conditions at Maui Memorial are dire, she said.
“In the (emergency department), we have nurses in pods where we used to have three nurses for nine patients.These days we have two nurses per pod. So now if one nurse has a critical patient, when a patient comes in who needs one-on-one care, the other nurse in that pod will “One nurse is currently caring for eight patients,” she said.
Robinson also said some Maui Memorial employees haven’t had a pay increase in years.
“Every day, people are leaving jobs that they’ve been working here for a long time,” she says. “They’re very knowledgeable about their jobs, but they don’t receive a living wage.”
Pua, Robinson and other members of the Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Workers Union also said discussions about a new collective bargaining agreement have been going on since the summer, but little progress has been made.
Matt Pelk, a CT technician and president of the Hawaii Nurses and Healthcare Workers Union, said the community has continued to suffer since COVID-19, and many Maui Memorial employees are struggling with the high cost of living. He said he could not afford to live on the island. .
“We are trying to make sure that nurses and health care workers can afford to stay and take care of our ohana,” Pelc said.
Pelk said the union is seeking concessions from Kaiser, who has been staunchly opposed to Maui Health, by agreeing to a contract that covers registered nurses in California.
As a result, Maui Memorial’s registered nurse turnover rate was more than three times higher than Kaiser’s other clinics and hospitals in Hawaii, at 13.86 percent versus 4.2 percent, Pelc said. He also cited the number of online listings as evidence that Maui Memorial is chronically understaffed.
But hospital representatives paint a different picture, saying that although there has been a national shortage of medical professionals since the pandemic, many areas of the hospital are “fully staffed” or He said it is close to being “fully staffed.”
They pointed out that staffing and employment are not quite the same, and that staff absence due to illness can cause problems.
“Maui Health Department nursing teams review current patient and staffing mix, including census and patient severity and patient volume, and allocate appropriate staffing resources to meet the needs of each unit,” the statement reads. It is written. “This is done 24 hours a day, every day, to ensure the highest level of care for our patients and the safety of our patients and clinicians.”
Another big demand of the union is to address wages, especially for minimum wage workers.
Ward clerks at Maui Memorial earn, on average, 19 percent less than the same category at the nearby Kaiser Clinic, according to figures provided by the union. In addition, receptionists and laboratory assistants will earn nearly 20% less, and clinical coordinators will earn 17% less.
Pelk also cited a June 2024 “Maui Together” survey by the Hawaii Rural Health Association that found 39% of health care professionals are considering moving to the mainland and 40% are reducing their work hours. 35% are considering leaving their doctor. absolutely.
Representatives from the Maui Department of Health said that in the event of a strike at hospitals on Maui and Lanai, “we will reduce the possibility of disruption by having a temporary workforce of nurses and medical professionals who can assist with: “We are prepared for this and will continue to operate as usual.” As long as necessary. ”
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