Rady Children's nurses seek 30% raise, strike underway if deal is not made

Nurses at Rady Children's Hospital are unhappy about their pay and benefits amid failed contract negotiations.

The 1,600 nurses on Monday dropped a bombshell: They will go on strike for two days starting at 6 a.m on July 22, if a deal isn't made.

Chris Abe, a nurse and vice president of operations for Rady, said the hospital will have 600 replacement nurses should a strike occur.

"We always hoped you wouldn’t have to go to a strike, but you have to be ready for that," she said. "We are going to take care of the kids no matter what with the excellent care that we do even if they choose to walk away from them."

The two sides thought they had a deal, but the nurses recently rejected the most recent offer.

Now, the union wants about a 30% raise over three years, while the hospital is offering about a 22% raise over that time.

“Our goal is to come to a tentative agreement. To have a good contract for these nurses to work with. Our goal has never been to strike. It's always to come to a fair contract for our employees," said Reid Corley, a critical care nurse and member of the union's bargaining team. "We want a fair, living wage."

He also said the nurses want better medical and retirement benefits.

Abe said the hospital has made a fair offer — one that starts at about $70 an hour for nurses.

She said Rady nurses can earn between $130,000 to $200,000 a year under the hospital's offer.

And, she was surprised by the strike threat.

“They did not let us know in any way that it was going to come today," Abe said. "So, that was incredibly disappointing for us, and we are here and committed to take care of the kids.”

Both sides say they hope to have a deal in place before July 22.

Negotiations resume on Monday.