Food drive held for struggling Hawaii nurses 2 weeks into lockout

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Saturday, Sept. 28 marked two weeks since unionized nurses at Kapiolani Medical Center were locked out of their jobs.

Negotiations continue and the Hawaii Nurses Association said it agreed to federal mediators to help both sides come to an agreement. In the meantime, the community is offering support.

A food drive was held for affected Kapiolani nurses and families on Saturday. Those in attendance said times have been especially tough since the lockout.

“Oh, we even got chicken, man. Right on! So we know what’s happening for dinner tonight,” said Ryan Tamboa, husband of a nurse at Kapiolani. “I think it’s going to help out a lot, actually. After this, I was going to head out to, like, Sam’s area, but then maybe I don’t need to anymore.”

Nurses forwarded KHON2 an email from Friday, Sept. 27 that said their medical, dental and vision coverage was ending on Sept. 30. HNA said the hospital CEO promised extended coverage beyond that date on Saturday, Sept. 30, but issues remain.

“We haven’t gotten paid for a few weeks now and there’s no end in sight as to when we’re going to go back,” said Kapiolani chief steward Paulette Vasu. “And it’s scary because I don’t know when I’m going to go back to work.”

Organizers of the food drive said Saturday’s event was a labor of love — and well worth it.

“We’re able to get people registered, drive through, give them the goods that we’ve got, that the {Hawaii} Food Bank provided, and then roll them out,” said AFL-CIO Local 152 executive director Randy Perreira.

“Just to know that it’s going to provide for, you know, at least a good week or so! If we stretch it out, dinner or lunch on the table, it’s going to help out a lot,” Tamboa said.

“Everyone gets two onions, one produce, two chickens, a sweet, a sandwich bread, a bagel, and then bigger families also get like tortilla or chips or something else,” said Alex Kahn, wife of a nurse at Straub.”

About 100 Kapiolani nurses and their families signed up and came out to pick up food. Organizers said Saturday’s event will not be the last if negotiations remain stalled.

“And in the coming weeks, if necessary, we’ll continue to offer this help both to these nurses. both to these nurses and we’ve also offered to the striking hotel workers to be able to do the same if in fact things are prolonged there,” Perreira said.

Just after 8 p.m. on Saturday, Kapiolani Medical Center issued the following statement:

We have agreed to extend medical, dental and vision benefits for our nurses after Sept. 30 based on the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association’s acceptance today of the terms Kapiolani outlined in our letter to the governor.

Gidget Ruscetta, COO of Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children

“She’s still holding up on the whole on, going back to Kapiolani learning because, you know, she feels like her heart is there still. Yeah. But, you know, she can only wait so long,” Tamboa said.

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“I’m hoping we get a resolution as soon as possible,” Vasu said.