Nurses Strike At Sonoma County Hospital
SANTA ROSA (CBS/AP) -- Nurses at a Sonoma County hospital walked off the job in a three-day strike to protest wages and other issues.
Officials with the Staff Nurses' Association say the nurses at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital started the strike at 5 a.m. Saturday. Engineers at that hospital, as well as at Petaluma Valley Hospital also walked off their jobs.
Both unions were protesting proposed cuts in on-call and night shift pay and reductions in workers' hours.
But hospital officials say the hospitals are operating with narrow profit margins, and they need to invest in new technology.
The Staff Nurses' Association represents about 660 nurses, while the Stationary Engineers Local 39 represents 18 engineers.
Hospital officials say they have arranged for replacement workers.
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