ONE-DAY PALOMAR HEALTH STRIKE CANCELED

Administrators, nurses reach last-minute deal

Though the details remain unspecified, the California Nurses Association announced Wednesday that last-minute negotiations have found enough common ground to cancel a one-day strike that had been scheduled for today.

Ten days ago, Palomar Health nurses and caregivers notified administrators of their intent to strike on June 23, citing understaffing concerns which first appeared following pandemic-related layoffs in 2020. Palomar administrators pushed back, saying statements regarding staffing were inaccurate and indicating they had already offered millions of dollars in increased compensation to workers.

Both sides of the newly thawed impasse released bare-bones statements Wednesday, simply announcing the breakthrough but otherwise providing no specifics on which concessions either side made.

“The agreements are pending ratification; nurses and caregivers say they look forward to sharing details about the ways their new contracts address some of their most pressing patient care concerns, such as ensuring safe staffing for the benefit of both patients and workers, protecting the health and safety of employees, and recruiting and retaining RNs and caregivers,” a union statement said.

Palomar Health is a public health care district that operates hospitals in Escondido and Poway serving inland North County.

In its statement, Palomar administration indicates that last-minute negotiations continued for 34 hours straight.

“We value our employees and want to make sure they have every opportunity to be heard and voice their concerns,” said Diane Hansen, Palomar’s chief executive officer. “We have worked diligently to ensure the best possible outcomes for both parties and remain committed to making beneficial progress.”