Copyright CBS News
Nurses across Stanislaus County walked off the job Thursday for a one-day strike, saying they've made little progress toward a new contract with Tenet Healthcare. The strike included nurses at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto and Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock. Both hospitals are owned by Tenet, one of the largest for-profit hospital operators in the country. Nurses say they've been negotiating with Tenet for nine months and that their previous contract expired in June. They're calling for safer staffing levels, guaranteed breaks and more resources to care for patients. "We're here striking over patient safety," said Kristi Carson, a registered nurse at Doctors Medical Center. "They've had ample opportunity to come to the bargaining table and come to a fair agreement." Lorena Burkett, a nurse at Emanuel Medical Center, said the strike is about protecting patients as much as the profession. "We need safe staffing. We need resources to be able to take care of our patients the way they deserve," she said. The California Nurses Association said it delivered a 10-day notice of the strike to Tenet on Oct. 20 to allow management to make alternative plans for patient care. According to Tenet's 2024 annual report, the company brought in roughly $20.7 billion in revenue and operates about 50 to 60 hospitals nationwide. In a statement, Central Valley Doctors Health System, owned by Tenet, said that hospitals remain fully operational and staffed with qualified replacement nurses. "We are disappointed that the union is taking this strike action, which in our view is not constructive or necessary," the statement said. "We have been negotiating in good faith with the union to reach a new contract." Nurses say they plan to return to work on Friday but are prepared to strike again if negotiations don't move forward.
