Nurses at medical center picket over frustrations with absentee policy

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    Honolulu, HI (KITV) — 450 nurses at Straub Medical Center are currently working without a contract. The Hawaii Nurses Association wants changes to what they are calling a “punitive” absence policy.

Nurses took to the streets around the hospital at around 1pm on Saturday with signs calling for a fair contract, specifically changes to the rules around calling in sick.

The nurses contract expired on October 31st. The union says nurses currently can only call in sick once a month without being penalized.

They say 80 to 90 percent of their membership has said they have come to work sick because they are afraid of getting disciplined under the policy.

“We’re not asking for huge differences. We’re asking for incremental, reasonable and very sane and safe changes to what we consider to an outdated and frankly dangerous attendance policy and the employer has flatly rejected all of these,” said Patrick Switzer.

Management will be meeting with the union on Wednesday to try to work out a deal and these nurses want them to make sure their voices are being heard.

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