'We're at ground zero with this virus:" Hundreds of nurses strike in Riverside, demanding better conditions and more PPE to cope with coronavirus

Record ID: 1560385

  • Title: 'We're at ground zero with this virus:" Hundreds of nurses strike in Riverside, demanding better conditions and more PPE to cope with coronavirus
  • Date: 2nd July 2020
  • Summary: RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 2, 2020) (REUTERS) NURSES ON PICKET LINE CHANTING NURSE CARRYING "STRAIGHT OUTTA STAFF" SIGN VARIOUS OF NURSES WALKING AROUND THE HOSPITAL RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL SIGN WITH NURSES PASSING BY REGISTERED NURSE TERNA SAWYER, HOLDING "HONK 4 PATIENT SAFETY" SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (English) 30-YEAR-OLD REGISTERED NURSE, TERNA SAWYER, SAYING: "It's very difficult and it makes it hard for everyone and my nurses. We just want to be able to work, efficiently, effectively and safely, for not just us, but for our patients, our family, everyone that comes in the hospital, everyone that we come in contact with. I think it's only fair, we're at ground zero with this virus, we're in there with the virus. We should deserve to be safe, to feel safe." NURSES CHANTING ON PICKET LINE NURSE HOLDING "NURSES SAVE LIVES" SIGN NURSES ON PICKET LINE "SAFE STAFFING SAVES LIVES" SIGN MORE OF NURSES ON PICKET LINE WITH CARS HONKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) EMERGENCY ROOM NURSE, ERIK ANDREWS, SAYING: "People should understand that this is the absolute most extreme thing that we can do, to try to use our leverage to get the hospital to do the right thing. None of us want to be out here. We want to be inside caring for our patients. We fought and fought and fought for years to try to get them to staff up." CARS HONKING WITH NURSES ON PICKET LINE NURSE WEARING A MASK WITH "PROTECT ALL PATIENTS" MESSAGE NURSE HOLDING A "WE ARE PEOPLE NOT MACHINES" SIGN MORE OF NURSES CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) REGISTERED NURSE, MONICA VIRK, SAYING: "I'm a registered nurse. I was working, I'm working here at Riverside County Hospital for about four years. And I've noticed that the nurses bring their heart to work every single day, but the staff and the supportive resources, the hospital does not provide. It makes it harder for the patients to get the type of care that they deserve." REGISTERED NURSE MONICA VIRK HOLDING A "RCH DO THE MATH" SIGN VARIOUS OF NURSES CHANTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) REGISTERED NURSE, AMANDA HADDIX, SAYING "As a new nurse, not having a lunch for weeks, for months and three days, three shifts in a row, twelve hours, not being able to take a break is very hard on us. And as a new grad, I want to still enjoy what I do because I love patients, I love working, I love what I'm doing, and it's making it so hard." VARIOUS OF NURSES WALKING ON THE STREET ADJACENT TO RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL HOSPITAL EMERGENCY SIGN CARS PASSING BY AND HONKING FOR NURSES VARIOUS OF NURSES IN PICKET LINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNION CHAPTER PRESIDENT AND REGISTERED NURSE, KERRY CAVAZOS, SAYING: "This day seven of a ten day strike. We're out here for one reason, we are not in contract negotiations. We are here, for one thing, safe staffing. The hospital is not staffing us safely. Therefore, in an unprecedented time, we have came out together, joined united and came together to strike." NURSES CHANTING ACROSS EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE "CAUTION UNSAFE STAFFING AHEAD" SIGN NURSE HOLDING "SAFE STAFFING SAVES LIVES" SIGN AMBULANCE DRIVING OFF EMERGENCY ROOM AS NURSES PROTEST AT PICKET LINE
  • Embargoed: 16th July 2020 20:35
  • Keywords: COVID-19 California PPE Riverside Riverside Community Hospital coronavirus nurses patient rights personal protection equipment strike union
  • Location: RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA001CL4BM13
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Hundreds of nurses from Riverside Community Hospital raised their voices on Thursday (July 2), demanding more personal protection equipment (PPE) and fair conditions, in one of counties hit hardest by COVID-19 in California.
    They formed a noisy picket line across the street from the Emergency Room on day seven of a ten day strike.
    Thirty-year-old Terna Sawyer wiped away tears as she told Reuters, "It's very difficult and it makes it hard for everyone and my nurses . We just want to be able to work, efficiently, effectively and safely, for not just us, but for our patients, our family, everyone that comes in the hospital, everyone that we come in contact with. I think it's only fair, we're at ground zero with this virus, we're in there with the virus. We should deserve to be safe."
    The outrage comes from an agreement between the union and the hospital that expired at the end of May. The agreement capped the number of patients that could be seen by a nurse, which ranges from two to five, depending on the department where they work.
    Nurses claim the influx of coronavirus patients means they have to care for more patients and work longer shifts without breaks.
    "We're out here for one reason, we are not in contract negotiations. We are here, for one thing, safe staffing. The hospital is not staffing us safely. Therefore, in an unprecedented time, we have came out together, joined united and came together to strike," said Kerry Cavazos, union chapter president and registered nurse in the hospital's labor and delivery department.
    In response to the strike, Riverside Community Hospital said in a press release posted in its website, "During this unparalleled health crisis, this planned strike is a misguided tactic causing nurses to lose 10 days of wages and serves no benefit to our patients and this community."
    The hospital also reassured patients that quality care has not been compromised by the strike, as they hired staff to cover and continue operating, and says the facility has enough PPE.
    "While we currently have adequate supplies of PPE, we continue to provide safeguards that are consistent with CDC guidelines and help ensure the protection of our colleagues, not only today, but into the future as the pandemic evolves."
    The ten day strike is scheduled to end on Monday, July 6.
    "People should understand that this is the absolute most extreme thing that we can do, to try to use our leverage to get the hospital to do the right thing," said Erik Andrews, a 33-year-old emergency room nurse for seven years. None of us want to be out here. We want to be inside caring for our patients. We fought and fought and fought for years to try to get them to staff up."
    (Production: Sandra Stojanovic / Norma Galeana)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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