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Nurses strike a vote of no confidence in Barton administration (opinion)

Barton nurses
Guest column
Nurses strike Friday, Sept. 20, across the street from Barton Memorial Hospital.
Bill Rozak / Tahoe Daily Tribune

Dear Editor:

Due to the inaction of Barton Healthcare’s leadership and their broken promises to respond to our union’s healthcare proposal, the nurses of Barton Memorial Hospital have voted to strike for the second time this year.

This vote can be considered a vote of no confidence in the hospital’s administration and Board of Directors, whose lack of concern for nurses and our issues regarding patient protection, a safe working environment, adequate healthcare benefits, and the retention of experienced nurses is incomprehensible.



A large number of our nurses are in debt collection or are having money deducted from their paychecks for excessive healthcare expenses incurred with their own employer.

Our union, the California Nurses Association, introduced a new, more equitable benefits package for Barton’s review over 13 months ago. So far, management has been unwilling to respond to our proposal, even though Barton had promised to do so by July of this year.



This clearly indicates the attitude of Barton’s board and administration toward nurses — that if they ignore us, we will quietly go away. Nothing could be further from reality.

A strike is never the first choice, and the decision to strike was not taken lightly, but it was necessary so that Barton nurses can continue to fight for equitable treatment for our patients, ourselves, and our community.

In solidarity,

Dorothy Dean, RN, Amy Isenhart, RN, Amber Weibel, RN, Ryan Weibel, RN, Justin Child, RN, Romie Navarro, RN, Starlette Robinson, RN, Beth Lampi, RN, Cherie Long, RN, Candy Barrenchea, RN, Kelli Teteak, RN, Olivia Jabaji, RN, Susan Altman, RN, Lila Bugarske, RN, Beth Dameral, RN, Jenny Webb, RN, Rachael Freuchtl, RN, Briana Wilkins, RN, Abigail Sylvia, RN, Jenna Raab, RN, Carole Taylor, RN, Laurel Sorenson, RN, Alix Bilek, RN, Annabelle Villanueva, RN, April Howard, RN, Elisa Reynolds, RN, Shane Reynolds, RN, Nancy Pepper, RN, Rose Hardman, RN, Alex Rider, RN, Chris Shagen, RN, Ashley Daw, RN, Tracy Rosa, RN, Brook Ceko, RN, Kelly Fitch, RN, John Truesdell, RN, Deirdre Eustis, RN, Annie Jadrnicek, RN, Bonnie McKnight, RN, Simone Aller, RN, Briana Wilkins, RN, Kelly Mileski, RN, Amanda Margulies, RN, Natalie Reschke, RN, Paul Carmickle, RN, Bethany Hinchliffe, RN, Ashley Collard, RN, Tamara Harrison, RN, Bridget Demaree, RN, Christy Yetter, RN, Spencer Rhodes, RN


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