SAN DIEGO – Hundreds of nurses for San Diego-based Sharp Healthcare held a rally Thursday morning, threatening to go on strike.
The nurses gathered at the San Diego Convention Center as negotiations over a new contract between Sharp and the nurse’s union, the Sharp Professional Nurses Network, has broken down.
“We're here today to let the community know that we're asking for support so that we can get help with recruitment and retention and also we would like to keep our union representation,” longtime nurse Jackie Young said.
The union claims Sharp has been losing nurses at an increasing rate. This year, it says, more than 500 nurses have left the company because Sharp pays its nurses $8 to $15 less than nurses for other health organizations in San Diego.
Negotiations have been ongoing since July. On Sept. 28, the union rejected what Sharp termed its “last, best and final offer.”
Sharp operates four hospitals in San Diego County. It employs about 17,000 people.
