Registered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville, Ca. will hold a three strike beginning today, August 14 in the latest protest against demands by hospital executives for sharp reductions in health coverage, and the hospital’s refusal to address concerns about patient care conditions, especially safe staffing. Nurses will speak out at a rally on thursday at noon in front of the hospital. The strike is scheduled to begin at 7:00 a.m. this morning when RNs will start their picket line, and end Sunday at at 6:59 a.m.

Registered nurses at three Bay Area hospitals, Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, Sutter Tracy Community Hospital, and Watsonville Community Hospital will strike today, August 14 citing common concerns about safe staffing and other patient care needs. Watsonville RNs will strike for three days; Queen of the Valley and Sutter Tracy RNs will strike for one day. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, (CNA/NNU), represents the RNs at all three hospitals.

The United States District Court, Northern District of California today set a hearing for 3:00 p.m. today to determine whether to grant a temporary restraining order to halt the closure of Doctor’s Medical Center in San Pablo.

SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Applicants’ Attorneys Association (CAAA), whose members represent Californians hurt at work, today joined the California Nurses Association (C.N.A.) in calling for elimination of gender bias against female first responders through passage of AB 2616 (Skinner).

Daly City Mayor David Canepa, registered nurses, represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, and local residents, will hold a press conference today outside Seton Medical Center to demand that the facility remains a full-service acute care hospital. It is believed the Daughters of Charity Health System will make a decision on a buyer for their seven hospitals in California sometime in the next two months.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United condemned Contra Costa County officials for its lackluster response to keeping Doctors Medical Center (DMC) open as a full-service hospital today, after an announcement that the hospital will no longer be accepting ambulances, and beds would be capped at fifty.