Hundreds of unionized nurses at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Center hit the picket lines today to begin a seven-day strike amid prolonged contract talks.
Officials with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United union contend the healthcare system is proposing to restructure employee health plans, making them reliant on care at USC facilities. They claim such a move will overload an “already-strained network” and lead to longer wait times and delayed health care.
Also see: USC cutting 259 jobs as it tackles rising $230 million deficit
“Instead of improving access to care, USC has made the no-premium health plan worse and is using it as leverage in negotiations,” Valerie Hernandez, a registered nurse in the telemetry unit at USC Keck, said in a statement. “Nurses shouldn’t have to bargain for basic health care while providing it to others.”
Keck Medicine of USC issued a statement saying it was “disappointed” by the union’s decision to strike. According to Keck, the two sides reached a tentative agreement in November with the help of a mediator, with the proposal including “generous wage increases, availability of no-premium health plan for nurses and an increase in resource nurse staff to help support nurses’ ability to rest and recharge during their shifts, among other improvements.”
“Unfortunately, the tentative agreement was not ratified,” according to Keck.
Hospital officials said its facilities will remain open and fully staffed during the strike, “allowing us to continue our commitment to exceptional patient care.”
According to Keck, the union represents more than 1,400 nurses at Keck, Norris and select clinics.
Union officials said the strike is planned to continue for seven days, ending early next Thursday morning. Contract negotiations between the union and USC began in May 2025.
According to the union, its negotiators are calling for affordable and comprehensive healthcare coverage, improved staffing hours and stronger retention measures to reduce turnover.
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