Hundreds of Nurses Strike at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital Over Wages and Staffing

The labor dispute affects operations at the North Coast region's sole designated Level II Trauma Center, which serves critical care patients across five counties while management deploys temporary replacement nurses.

• •Hundreds of North Bay nurses began a two-day strike at Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at 5 a.m. Tuesday.
• •The strike is scheduled to conclude at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
• •The Staff Nurses Association organized the walkout after contract negotiations that began in early August stalled.
• •Union president Peter Brackner stated that hospital nurses are paid about 10% less than nurses at Sutter and significantly less than Kaiser.
• •The union is protesting management proposals to eliminate the 401(a) employer retirement contribution, reduce paid time off, and prioritize nonunion travel nurses.
• •The union criticized the hospital for not funding dedicated break-relief nurses.
• •The hospital serves as the sole designated Level II Trauma Center for Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake, Napa, and Marin counties.
• •Hospital administration stated they contracted qualified replacement nurses to maintain daily operations and expect no impact on patients.
• •The previous union contract was originally signed in September 2023 and expired on September 30, 2026.