You can count on us to be here for you,
as we have always been.
At Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, we value our nurses and the vital roles they serve on our care teams. We will continue our efforts to reach an agreement on a new contract so our nurses can benefit from the improvements our offer provides and we can all move forward together.
As Hawaii's only full-service women’s and children’s hospital, we are committed to providing safe and consistent, high-quality care for our patients.
We have taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that access to safe, high-quality care will continue without disruption at Kapiolani.
Your care will not be impacted. We have secured a temporary workforce of experienced nurses who specialize in the care of women and children. These highly qualified nurses will work with the rest of our health care team – physicians, pharmacists, social workers and many others – to provide uninterrupted care for our patients.
We are prepared and remain dedicated to our mission of creating a healthier Hawaii.
Patient Care is Our Top Priority
Negotiation Status
To Our Patients, Families and Community,
On Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children received a second strike notice from the Hawaii Nurses’ Association (HNA), which represents approximately 600 Kapiolani registered nurses. We are very disappointed by the union’s decision to strike again given our commitment to reaching an agreement and the highly competitive improvements included in our current offer.
We value our nurses and are dedicated to providing uninterrupted quality care to you — our patients and community — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. While we are committed to reaching an agreement with HNA, we cannot allow a labor dispute to jeopardize our ability to serve critical health care needs.
In an effort to encourage HNA to accept Kapiolani’s fair and generous offer, Kapiolani will impose a lockout of all registered nurses represented by HNA at Kapiolani who are covered by the agreement that expired on Nov. 30, 2023. HNA can prevent this lockout by unconditionally accepting Kapiolani’s offer.
The lockout begins when HNA’s strike ends — meaning HNA nurses will not be allowed to work at Kapiolani — unless HNA unconditionally accepts Kapiolani’s offer.
This was certainly not what we wanted. However, the union’s decision to strike for a second time in eight months directly impacts you, our patients and families. A lockout is an employer’s right under the law to prevent workers from returning to work in order to convince their union to accept its offer. Just as the union is given the right to call for a strike under the National Labor Relations Act, the law also gives employers the ability to call a lockout. While this is a difficult decision, we are simply exercising our rights under the law, just as the union has done now with their second strike notice.
In order to maintain the specialty care that our community relies upon from Hawaii’s only full-service women’s and children’s hospital, we have secured a temporary workforce of experienced nurses who will take care of patients during the lockout until an agreement is reached.
To be clear, we are not permanently replacing the registered nurses represented by HNA. Our commitment to providing high-quality care for our patients is our top priority, and this temporary workforce is necessary to make sure access to quality care will continue without disruption for our patients and the community.
After a year of negotiations, the nurses’ union continues to refuse to take our offer to its members for a ratification vote.
We value our nurses and their dedication to serve the health care needs of our community, which is why our comprehensive offer for our registered nurses includes:
Highly Competitive Wages
- Across-the-board raises totaling 10.5% over the next two years for all Kapiolani registered nurses, and additional pay for years of service that would make them among the highest-paid experienced nurses in the state.
- Based on our current offer, by the third year of the contract, our registered nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, our offer includes a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
An Innovative Staffing Model
- An innovative staffing model that uses new technology and a staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
- A Staffing Council that brings nursing leaders and Kapiolani nurses together to enforce the staffing matrix.
- New ways to collaborate on staffing that would provide registered nurses with transparency and opportunities to participate in setting their schedules, as well as a role and a voice in the staffing process.
We hope the union and the nurses accept Kapiolani’s offer so our nurses can benefit from the improvements our offer provides and we can all move forward together as one team.
About Us
As Hawaii’s only full-service women’s and children’s hospital, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children is committed to providing consistent, high-quality care for our patients. Kapiolani is well recognized as a leader in the care of women, infants and children for more than 100 years.
Committed to excellence, Kapiolani falls within the top tier of hospitals nationwide for positive patient experience, notably ranking:
- In the top 5% in the country for pediatric patient experience.
- In the top 10% in the country for adult patient experience.
Kapiolani performs better than the top children’s hospitals in the country for preventing hospital-acquired harm. We are ranked “excellent” by U.S. News & World Report for protecting our most vulnerable babies from infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Additionally, Kapiolani has been named among the top-ranked hospitals for positive patient outcomes following surgery, in each of the last five years.
We greatly appreciate our nurses and are proud of the work they do and the impact they have on our patients and community. We are committed to supporting our nurses with a competitive contract that respects them and recognizes and rewards them for their professionalism and the care provided for our patients.
NEW SECTION
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a lockout?
- Why is Kapiolani imposing the lockout?
- Will Kapiolani provide safe, high-quality care during the strike / lockout?
- How can the lockout be prevented?
- Is Kapiolani’s lockout illegal?
- Is Kapiolani’s lockout retaliatory?
- Has Kapiolani committed unfair labor practices during negotiations with the nurses’ union?
- Will Kapiolani permanently replace its nurses?
- Will Kapiolani continue to negotiate with the nurses’ union before a strike or lockout begins?
- Will Kapiolani continue to negotiate with the nurses’ union during a lockout?
What is a lockout?
A lockout is an employer’s right under federal law to prevent employees from working in order to convince their union to accept its offer. Just as unions have the right to call for a strike, the law gives employers the right to impose a lockout. Strike and lockout are two sides of the same coin.
Why is Kapiolani imposing the lockout?
This lockout was a very difficult decision and one that we did not make lightly.
We’ve made this difficult decision to exercise our rights under the law to encourage the nurses’ union to accept our fair and generous offer so that we can move forward and allow our nurses to benefit from the improvements a new contract would provide.
Since the start of negotiations nearly one year ago, we have bargained with the nurses’ union in good faith in an effort to reach an agreement. During this time:
- We have had more than 30 negotiation sessions with the nurses’ union (Hawaii Nurses’ Association).
- We had 6 sessions with the nurses’ union and the federal mediator during those meetings. During these sessions with the federal mediator, the union only provided proposals that had already been rejected.
- In our negotiations with the nurses’ union, we have amended our last, best and final offer twice to show our commitment to reaching an agreement that will benefit our nurses. Our revised offer includes:
- Across the board raises for all our nurses.
- – By the third year of our current offer, our nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, we are offering our nurses a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
- staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust staffing based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
In our revised offer, there are about a dozen items where Kapiolani and the nurses’ union are aligned right now.
Unfortunately, the nurses’ union never took our offer to its members for a decision. So, our nurses have never been able to accept our offer.
We have repeatedly asked the union to give our nurses the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to accept our fair and generous offer, but the union has refused.
Since September 2023, we have worked diligently and in good faith to provide our nurses with a fair and generous offer and avoid this situation. By imposing this lockout, we are simply trying to get closure in our negotiations with the nurses’ union so we can move forward and finally give our nurses the fair and generous package we’ve worked hard to offer them.
The nurses’ union has the power to prevent the lockout by unconditionally accepting our fair and generous offer.
Will Kapiolani provide safe, high-quality care during the strike / lockout?
Yes. Caring for our patients is our top priority. We are here to serve our community, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We will continue to be fully open to provide patient care and services during the strike.
We have secured a temporary workforce of experienced nurses who specialize in the care of women and children and have worked at some of the top children’s hospitals in the nation. These highly qualified nurses will work with the rest of our health care team to provide uninterrupted care for our patients during the strike and, if necessary, during a lockout until an agreement is reached. We have the utmost confidence in the skills and abilities of these nurses.
How can the lockout be prevented?
The nurses’ union can prevent the lockout by unconditionally accepting our last offer so that we have an agreement in effect with the nurses’ union.
Is Kapiolani’s lockout illegal?
No. Just as unions have the right to call for a strike, federal law gives employers the right to prevent employees from working in order to convince their union to accept its offer. We are merely exercising our legal rights to get an agreement in place with the nurses’ union and move forward.
Kapiolani is not the first employer to impose a lockout in Hawaii. Lockouts have been a part of Hawaii labor history and are recognized by law as a legal employer action.
Is Kapiolani’s lockout retaliatory?
No. We are merely exercising our legal rights in order to get a contract in place so we can move forward. The nurses’ union has the ability to prevent the lockout by unconditionally accepting our last offer.
Kapiolani values its nurses and has been working diligently and in good faith for nearly a year to provide them with a fair and generous offer and avoid this situation. Our revised offer is the result of 30 negotiation sessions, 6 with a federal mediator, and provides our nurses with:
- Across the board raises.
- By the third year of our current offer, our nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, we are offering our nurses a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
- A staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust staffing based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
We are disappointed that the nurses’ union will not give our nurses the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to accept our fair and generous offer.
By imposing this lockout, we are simply trying to get closure in our negotiations with the nurses’ union so we can move forward and finally give our nurses the fair and generous package we’ve worked hard to offer them.
Kapiolani is proud of the national recognition it has received over the years for its outstanding employment practices, including:
- Becker’s Healthcare’s 2024 list of 150-Plus Top Places to Work in Health Care — Hawaii Pacific Health
- Gallup Great Workplace Award, 2012-2015, 2017-2020
- No. 1 on the Forbes list of “America's Best Employers by State 2021”
- 2018-2021 American Health Association Gold Level recognition for achievements in workplace health
- 2017 American Health Association Silver Level recognition for achievements in workplace health
Has Kapiolani committed unfair labor practices during negotiations with the nurses’ union?
No. Kapiolani has not committed any unfair labor practices.
This strike, like the one in January, is not about unfair labor practices. Rather, it is simply an attempt by the union to force Kapiolani to give in to its unreasonable and unsustainable demands in negotiations.
We have been negotiating with the nurses’ union for almost a year and the union is still refusing to give its members the opportunity to decide for themselves whether to accept our fair and generous offer. The union’s key proposals are focused on wages and staffing, which are economic topics.
Our offer gives our nurses a base salary of $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week and a staffing matrix that addresses staffing needs while also providing the flexibility to adapt to the needs of our patients.
We value our nurses and want them to benefit from the substantial enhancements in the offer currently on the table.
Will Kapiolani permanently replace its nurses?
No. Kapiolani values its nurses and wants to reach an agreement with their union so that our nurses can benefit from the improvements a new contract would provide, including:
- Across the board raises.
- By the third year of our current offer, our nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, we are offering our nurses a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
- A staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust staffing based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
Will Kapiolani continue to negotiate with the nurses’ union before a strike or lockout begins?
Yes. We would prefer to reach an agreement at the bargaining table and avoid this, but after almost one year that has not been possible.
As we have since September 2023 – nearly one year ago – we will continue to bargain in good faith with the nurses’ union until we reach an agreement.
We are committed to reaching an agreement with the nurses’ union so that our nurses can benefit from the improvements that a new contract would provide, including:
- Across the board raises.
- By the third year of our current offer, our nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, we are offering our nurses a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
- A staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust staffing based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.
The nurses’ union has the power to prevent the lockout by unconditionally agreeing to our fair and generous offer.
Will Kapiolani continue to negotiate with the nurses’ union during a lockout?
Yes. The nurses’ union has the power to prevent the lockout by unconditionally accepting our fair and generous offer.
If a lockout becomes necessary, we will continue to bargain in good faith with the nurses’ union – as we have over the last year – so that our nurses can benefit from the improvements that a new contract would provide, including:
- Across the board raises.
- By the third year of our current offer, our nurses will earn a base salary between $133,000 to $160,000 for a 3-day work week. In addition to the base salary, we are offering our nurses a generous benefits package, bonuses and incentive pay.
- A staffing matrix that provides the ability to adjust staffing based on the individual conditions and needs of patients, which can change multiple times throughout the day.