Kapiʻolani nurses vote in favor of strike by ʻoverwhelming majorityʻ

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The nurses of Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children voted in favor of a strike over the weekend, according to the Hawaii Nursesʻ Association.

“The sentiment and frustration level of the nurses came through loud and clear in the vote,”

said Rosalee Agas-Yuu, HNA president. “The retaliation for speaking the truth and exposing

unsafe staffing issues has become unbearable. We will not be silenced. The strike will expose

Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s unfair labor practices and culture of retaliation, intimidation and

bullying to all in the community.”

The voting began on Friday and closed Sunday evening, after which HNA said an “overwhelming majority of the nurses are in favor of a strike.”

In a news release HNA said that they had been encouraging bedside nurses to document unsafe conditions or patient safety concerns and that had resulted in retaliation.

The union and nurses will decide the date and duration of the strike.

This is the second strike by the Kapiʻolani nurses in 2024, with the first being a one-week strike in January.

Kapiʻolani Medical Center provided the following statement.

“While the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association’s decision is disappointing, we value our nurses and are committed to moving forward together. We have a negotiation session scheduled with the union this Thursday, Sept. 5, and want to reach an agreement so our nurses can benefit from a new contract.“