5,800 SHARP HEALTHCARE WORKERS WILL STRIKE FOR IMPROVED PATIENT CARE

Frontline healthcare professionals deliver 10-day notice as they prepare to strike the largest health care system in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA –  A unit of 5,700 registered nurses at Sharp HealthCare and a second unit of 127 health care professionals, comprised of pharmacists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, medical social workers, registered dietitians and speech-language pathologists, will go on strike from 7 a.m. on Wednesday, November 26 to 7 a.m. Saturday, November 29 at San Diego’s largest healthcare system following Sharp’s refusal to settle a fair contract that protects patients and respects frontline caregivers.

Nurses with Sharp Professional Nurses Network (SPNN), an affiliate of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) delivered their 10-day notice today after 20 sessions of bargaining. Workers say Sharp executives have repeatedly dismissed proposals to fix staffing, protect patients, and retain experienced caregivers across the Sharp HealthCare system.

Since July, the nurses have been bargaining with Sharp executives to settle a fair contract that addresses risks to patient care – including nurses’ persistently low wages and a sick leave policy that forces nurses to choose between protecting their patients and protecting their own jobs and families. The nurses voted by 97% to authorize a strike if necessary.

Another unit, of 127 health care professionals who work at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, has joined the nurses in voting to authorize a strike, by 93%. They have been bargaining for their first contract since February 2025.

While the RNs’ previous contract expired on September 30, nurses agreed to an emergency two-week extension that began Wednesday, October 22 and ran through November 5. Today’s 10-day notice to strike gives the SPNN and Sharp Chula Vista professionals’ bargaining teams the authority to hold Sharp management accountable and move to reach fair contracts.

“Sharp nurses are speaking out because we’re being stretched too thin and treated as if our own health doesn’t matter,” said Andrea Muir, RN, a Medical-Surgical Telemetry nurse and president of the Sharp Professional Nurses Network. “When we come to work sick or exhausted because the company’s sick policy discourages us from taking the time we need to recover, it’s not just unfair — it’s unsafe. Our patients deserve caregivers who are healthy, supported, and able to give them their full attention. We’re fighting for basic respect, for safe staffing, and for a system that protects both nurses and the San Diego community we serve.”

On November 7, UNAC/UHCP members voted overwhelmingly in favor of striking. They are holding Sharp accountable for its failure to partner on:

• Safe Staffing: Sharp’s proposals must go further to give caregivers a voice as patient advocates and to guarantee workload protections and safe working conditions.
• Fair Sick Policy: Sharp professionals now suffer under a policy where full-time nurses must work for ten weeks to accrue enough sick time to cover a single shift, and those who stay home sick without sufficient time are subject to disciplinary action.
• Reasonable Wages: Sharp nurses are paid below market rate and struggle to support themselves and their families in one of the most expensive cities in the country.

“I’ve dedicated sixteen years to caring for patients in the ER, and the decision to walk out is one I make with a heavy heart,” said Yesenia Diaz, RN, who works for the Sharp Staff Resource Network. “Nurses give everything we have to this hospital and this community, yet we’re often left without the support we need to do our jobs safely. If Sharp truly values us as the foundation of patient care, then they need to stand with us, so we can continue to care for San Diego’s families with strength and compassion.”

“I’m standing up for a contract that truly respects the work we do and the patients we serve,” said Jonathan Argento, a Registered Nurse at Sharp ICU Float Pool. “Our team deserves fair pay, stable staffing, and real job security, the basic conditions that let us focus on delivering excellent care instead of worrying about how to make ends meet. San Diego’s cost of living keeps climbing, yet even with a full-time professional position, I can’t afford to live where I work. We’re asking Sharp to recognize the value of its healthcare professionals and ensure we can continue serving this community with dedication and pride.”

In mid-October, thousands of Sharp HealthCare nurses, pharmacists, and other professionals held informational pickets across San Diego, standing united for their patients and for a fair contract that addresses the staffing and safety crisis inside Sharp hospitals. Healthcare professionals held signs reading “Safe staffing means safe care” and “Sick leave is care leave — End the write-ups,” at early-morning shifts at Sharp Metro, Sharp Grossmont, and Sharp Chula Vista. The pickets marked a major escalation in the nurses’ campaign for respect, safety, and a contract that puts patients first.

Sharp nurses are paid below market rate and struggle to support themselves and their families in one of the most expensive cities in the country. Management’s proposal would also remove medical coverage for retirees, meaning a nurse who retires before Medicare age after decades of grueling 12-hour shifts would lose access to Sharp health insurance — a benefit nurses have had for decades.

Another major sticking point in negotiations is Sharp’s punitive sick leave policy, which was changed mid-contract. Full-time nurses must work for ten weeks to accrue enough sick time to cover a single shift, and those who stay home sick without sufficient time are subject to disciplinary action. This policy forces an impossible choice onto workers: jeopardize their health and income, or put vulnerable patients at risk by exposing them to illness.

This treatment contradicts the history of RNs and management collaborating to solve problems and improve patient care through their local Registered Nurse Advisory Committees (RNACs). During negotiations, management proposed eliminating these committees, but withdrew their proposal after moving testimony from RNs about their necessity and effectiveness.

As negotiations continue, nurses are committed to reaching a fair settlement that protects patients and keeps experienced nurses at the bedside.

###

United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) represents more than 40,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in California and Hawaii, including optometrists; pharmacists; physical, occupational and speech therapists; case managers; nurse midwives; social workers; clinical lab scientists; physician assistants and nurse practitioners; hospital support and technical staff. UNAC/UHCP is affiliated with the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO.