RNs pass vote of no confidence in leadership at Long Beach Memorial
The unanimous vote comes after months of layoffs, a strike and contentious contract negotiations.
Registered nurses at the Long Beach Memorial campus unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in hospital leadership earlier this month, the California Nurses Association announced.
The union, which represents nearly 2,100 nurses at Long Beach Medical Center and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital, has been in contentious contract negotiations with hospital management for months, with the old contract expiring March. Nurses went on a one-day strike in May — the first in 15 years.
The hospital responded with a four-day lockout.
In an email Wednesday, the union accused management of unfair labor practices meant to “stymie negotiations over RN-proposed improvements to workplace violence protections, working conditions, and patient safety. Additionally, 78 nurses, including nurses on the bargaining team, received layoff notices during bargaining.
“Nurses believe that management — across the board — needs to improve its approach to nurses and our patients,” the union said in its email, accusing management of “not bargaining in good faith.”
Memorial spokesperson Richele Steele, meanwhile, said the vote is simply a “tactic” to “influence negotiations.” Hospital leadership respects the nursing staff, Steele said, adding that the vote will not distract from the hospital’s “mission of providing the highest quality care to our patients and the communities we serve.”
“Contrary to the false accusations by union leadership, the safety of our care providers and patients is among our top priorities,” Steele said in her July 25 email. “We also remain firmly committed to bargaining in good faith and reaching an agreement with the union that is both fair to our nurses and sustainable for our hospitals in the face of growing industry challenges.”
While MemorialCare, the parent company of the Long Beach medical campus as well as other facilities in the region, brought in nearly $90 million in profits last year, according to ProPublica, the Long Beach facility is allegedly operating at around a $40 million deficit. As a result, since January 2024, management has laid off 313 employees — and more cuts are expected in the coming months.
Numerous departments have also been shuttered, including outpatient pharmacies and the blood donor center.
For each round of layoffs and department closure, management’s explanation has been the same: “operational and workflow changes to align with industry best practices and … enhance productivity and efficiency.”
But it’s not just the lower-level staff that has been shaken up. Earlier this year, following the firing Yair Katz, chief executive at Miller Children’s, hospital staff called on former CEO Blair Kent to reverse the decision, saying it caused “deep concern and disapproval.”
Katz, for his part, said he was fired without cause. His last day was Feb. 5, after which staff passed a vote of no confidence in Kent.
On April 1, Kent went on paid personal leave. It’s unclear if the vote of no confidence was the cause of the leave of absence. However, while on leave, Kent’s son unexpectedly died, which led Kent to retire.
While the most recent vote of no confidence did not call out interim-CEO Frank Beirne, or any other member of the leadership team, by name, the union said the hope is that “management will come to the table ready to bargain in good faith and resolve patient safety issues. These include addressing long ER wait times, workplace violence incidents, and staffing issues that remain prevalent and unresolved at LBMC.”
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