Strike and Strike Vote FAQ

• COBRA is a federal law that requires employers to provide access to continued health benefits following certain qualifying events like voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in hours worked, or transition between jobs. A strike resulting in a loss of employer-provided coverage is generally a qualifying event for COBRA purposes.  The hospitals must provide you notice of the right to elect COBRA coverage and must provide at least 60 days to choose whether to enroll in COBRA coverage.  So long as you elect COBRA coverage by the end of that 60-day period and pay required premiums, your health insurance will continue uninterrupted. If your family is covered, you may elect coverage on behalf of yourself, your spouse, and/or your children.
• The hospitals can require Nurses to pay for COBRA continuation coverage. The plan can include the costs currently paid by employees and the employer, plus an additional 2% for administrative costs. The amount charged cannot exceed 102% of the cost of the plan for similarly situated employees covered under the plan.
• A summary of anticipated COBRA costs is available here. Please call VITA, the hospitals’ administrator of COBRA, at 650-810-1480 or 844-231-5331, or visit vitacompanies.com, with any questions.
• You can also purchase health insurance through Covered California within 60 days of a loss of coverage. This may be less expensive than COBRA continuation coverage. You also may be able to join a spouse’s health insurance plan. (See answer above.)

Per the information provided by VITA, the COBRA administrator, vision coverage is included with Aetna, SHCA, and Kaiser COBRA continuation coverage. COBRA dental coverage can be purchased separately. Please contact VITA with any specific questions at 650-810-1480 or 844-231-5331.

You will continue to have access to your HSA funds during a strike, and you may use your HSA funds to pay COBRA premiums. Because the hospitals have chosen to terminate our benefits as of May 1, to use your FSA funds after May 1 during a strike, you will need to purchase COBRA. FSA funds cannot be used to cover COBRA premiums.

CRONA represents approximately 5,000 Nurses, and not every Nurse works every week. To ensure all our members work one day in a month, we would need to delay a strike until at least two weeks into the month. There is no perfect time to strike. The Board considered carefully when a strike would be most likely to help Nurses achieve the strong contracts we deserve.

You are a member of CRONA once you are employed as a Nurse by the hospitals and we receive your Membership Dues Authorization, even if dues have not yet been taken out of your paycheck and/or you have not received your first paycheck. CRONA will demand that any contract settlement include an amnesty agreement covering the return of all CRONA Nurses, including Nurses who are in their trial period.

Like pre-approved PTO, pre-approved education hours and access to reimbursement funds can be canceled only if this policy is also applied to all CRONA-represented Nurses, and in most circumstances, to other employees including management, support and ancillary personnel, and other departments. CRONA will file unfair labor practice charges if such a policy change is applied in a discriminatory manner. Although we cannot guarantee that you will be reimbursed for educational expenses incurred during the strike, you should save any receipts and submit them for reimbursement upon your return to work.

In an April 13 email, the hospitals announced that all previously scheduled PTO will be canceled. Pre-approved PTO that starts before or after the strike can be canceled only if this cancellation policy is applied to all CRONA-represented Nurses. In most circumstances, such a policy would also have to be applied to management, support and ancillary personnel, and other departments. CRONA is investigating whether the hospitals’ cancellation policy was applied in a way that does not discriminate against striking workers. CRONA will file unfair labor practice charges if the policy change was applied in a discriminatory manner.

As soon as we reach a tentative agreement, our Bylaws require us to present that agreement to the membership in at least three membership meetings prior to a ratification vote. Our Bylaws require the ratification vote to occur within ten days after the tentative agreement is reached, excluding weekends and holidays. Part of reaching a tentative agreement is negotiating details of our return to work, but we would recommend that you be in a position to return to work within no more than 10 days of a tentative agreement.

Although it is possible you will continue to have access to mail, online portals and API during a strike, you should assume that you will not have access.

You should continue to prepare your materials as you normally would, and to upload them electronically as soon as possible. If a panel is delayed by a strike, as part of an agreement to return, CRONA would address the status of Nurses applying to the PNDP for promotion or renewal.

Please do not discuss the strike with patients or families. If a patient or family asks about the strike, advise the patient or family to discuss the issue with your manager.

Occupational Health Services maintains records of required immunizations and required testing such as TB testing. You may need this information if applying for temporary work in case of a strike. It’s a good idea to request this information ahead of time as it may take some time to process for OHS to process your request.

OHS has a form you will be required to fill out. You may go in person to OHS or download the form linked here.

The CRONA membership. CRONA’s Bylaws call for a 2/3 vote (or 66.6%) of the entire membership to pass a strike vote. If you do not vote, it is a “No” vote.

If the CRONA membership votes to authorize a strike and the Executive Board delivers a strike notice to the hospitals, the hospitals will have at least ten (10) days before a strike begins to address patient care. CRONA’s Contingency Committee will also offer to meet with the hospitals to discuss staffing the nursing units, but there is no guarantee that the hospitals will accept our offer.

You may also work as a traveler/registry nurse at other hospitals, to which many of your patients may well be transferred.

Yes. We will need to hand out information to the other employees and the community explaining our issues.

No. You can only be fired for misconduct on the picket line, i.e. violence or threats of violence. The hospital can permanently replace you, but CRONA will insist that an amnesty agreement covering the return of all CRONA Nurses be part of any settlement that is made. CRONA will insist that this will include the return of Nurses to their units, shifts and commitments.

Yes. Management has the right to lock employees out, just as we have the right to strike. However, a lockout cannot be selective and they would have to lock out all of the CRONA Nurses – approximately 5000 across both hospitals.

Show management that we are united. . Wear your CRONA buttons and badge reels, and use CRONA stickers on your reusable drink containers. Use your CRONA pens.

Read the flyers that are posted on your unit CRONA bulletin board. Attend the CRONA meetings. Sign up with the nurse registries and/or apply for a per diem job at other hospitals.

To prepare for a possible strike, you should ensure you have copies of your recent performance evaluations and obtain your immunization and TB testing records from Occupational Health. (Occupational Health at occhealth@stanfordhealthcare.org. Main hospitals: 650-723-5922. Redwood City: 650-721-7316.) The form Authorization for Release of Information to submit to Occupational health for release of records is HERE. Submit this form to OHSmedicalrecords@stanfordhealthcare.org.

At LPCH, you can access your BLS/ACLS card by: (1) logging in to your AccessHR account; (2) clicking on Professional Profile; (3) clicking on Basic Life Support – Edit/View or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support – Edit/View; and (4) copying and pasting the URL provided next to “certificate license details” into a new web browser tab.  LPCH Nurses, make sure you complete your quarterly RQI checkoff to ensure you are up-to-date when we return from a strike. SHC Nurses should have copies of their ACLS/BLS certification cards.

No. PTO can only be cashed out upon termination of employment.

Yes. The hospitals will not have any say over any insurance that is covered by the State such as State Disability Insurance (SDI).

1. Questions about Leaves of Absence – The Hartford (replaced Matrix as of 4/1/2019), https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com, SHC: 800-524-8504, LPCH: 866-432-6721
2. Short and Long Term Disability (existing cases from before January 1, 2019) – Liberty Mutual, libertymutual.com, 800-320-7585 (under the umbrella of Lincoln Financial Group)
3. Short and Long Disability (cases after January 1, 2019) – The Hartford, https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com, SHC: 800-524-8504, LPCH: 866-432-6721
4. Life Insurance or Accidental Death/Dismemberment – The Hartford, https://abilityadvantage.thehartford.com, SHC: 866-547-4205, LPCH 866-432-6721

If you are eligible for worker’s compensation payments, the hospitals cannot withhold payments because worker’s compensation is required by the State.

If you are already on an approved leave when a strike begins, your leave should not be affected. If you have a child during the strike, you should remain eligible for State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL). These are state programs that the hospitals do not control.

The answer depends on an interpretation of the medical plan documents. CRONA would argue that using approved PTO or an “A” day during the month should entitle you to health insurance coverage through the end of the month, but CRONA cannot guarantee that the medical plans would be interpreted this way.

All the registries will be very excited to hear that so many nurses would be looking for work.  Jobs are available. We can work!

No. Being on strike does not qualify you for unemployment benefits.

Yes. Call the California Unemployment Office: 1-800-300-5616.

Yes, these transit passes are valid for the full calendar year.  See: https://transportation.stanford.edu/caltrain-go-pass-vta-smartpass-and-ac-transit-easypass-renew-automatically.

Yes, being on strike will not affect a parking permit you already purchased.

No.

Your leave continues.

Yes, if they are not on strike.

Like you, the CRONA Board and the Negotiating Teams are committed to caring for our patients. We are not eager to strike. If management will agree to a contract that includes the wages, benefits, and working conditions we need to recruit and retain world-class Nurses and combat chronic understaffing, we will not need to strike. But in the long run, we feel more harm will be done to our patients if real progress is not made to address the issues on the table, including providing a competitive compensation and retiree medical benefits package; safe staffing provisions; addressing the current crisis in critical care units; and improved access to mental health care. We have tried to resolve these issues at the bargaining table. A collective action is the strongest statement we can make.

NO! Any time you cross the picket line, you prolong the strike. You will hurt your friends and your co-workers, and yourself, by crossing the picket line to prolong the strike.

If CRONA has not established a picket line at the CE center and the training does not involve providing any direct patient care, then you can attend a class at the CE Center during a strike. Crossing a picket line during a strike is grounds for discipline under CRONA’s Bylaws. If you are unsure about attending a particular class, or engaging in any other activity during a strike, ask us directly at crona@crona.org.

Direct deposit paychecks should still be deposited. You may have to go to the hospital for the purpose of collecting your pay check if you receive a paper paycheck. Or you can ask that your check be mailed to you or sign up for direct deposit, if you don’t already use direct deposit.

No. Just show up at the picket line, if a strike is called! Your manager will ask you if you will be available to work during a strike. Say NO. This is one tactic that is used to divide the membership.

Finish your shift and report off to any supervisor on your unit. Remember, the hospital will have had at least ten (10) days to prepare for the strike.

If a strike is called, we will be giving you information closer to the time of the strike.

If the CRONA membership votes to authorize a strike, then a strike could begin ten (10) days after the CRONA Executive Board issues a formal strike notice to the hospitals.

Yes. You can choose to become a service fee member, but you will still pay approximately the same amount and you will have no voting privileges. This is a technique managers may use to convince you to weaken all of CRONA by crossing the picket line when we are on strike.

Crossing the picket line weakens CRONA and will have adverse effects on our ability to represent you now and in the future.

In accordance with our CRONA Bylaws, crossing the picket line is grounds for discipline. Discipline can be in the form of monetary sanctions, suspensions, and/or expulsion from membership.

You will be a non-member and still pay approximately the same fees as members. As a non-member, you will not be able to vote, run for office, or receive a CRONA scholarship.

If you resign or lose your membership, you may apply for reinstatement after fulfilling all obligations set by the CRONA Executive Board. The CRONA Executive Board decides whether or not it is in the interest of CRONA and its members to reinstate your membership. Monetary sanctions or a reinstatement fee may also apply.

Although our contacts have expired, the hospitals must maintain the “status quo” as we continue bargaining for new contracts. That means the hospitals should continue to follow the rules that apply to paid jury time under Sections 21 and 15.14.8 of the SHC contract and Sections 20 and 14.13.9 of the LPCH contract. In general, those rules require the hospitals to pay for time you are required to spend physically in the courthouse waiting to be called or serving on a jury when you would normally be scheduled to work. If you are serving on a jury when a strike begins, your jury service should continue, and you should continue to be paid for jury service time under these same rules for days you were scheduled to work. If you are scheduled to report to jury service for the first time after a strike begins, you can serve on the jury, and you can contact CRONA to discuss how the jury service pay rules may apply to your situation.

No, it means we authorized the CRONA Executive Board to call a strike. The CRONA Executive Board will have the ability to call a strike once the membership gives authorization, and will do so only if it is necessary. There is also a legal requirement to give the hospitals a 10-day notice of any strike. You will be well informed about what a strike means if we go on strike.

Not voting counts as a NO vote. Not voting sends a message that you don’t care about our contracts. To authorize a strike, we must have a YES vote from 2/3 of ALL of our membership, not just those who vote. That is why voting is so important.

A written or online authorization empowering another person to vote or act for the signer. When you sign a proxy, you are giving permission for someone to cast your vote for you.

Nine. That is why we ask that you leave the authorization name blank, in case the CRONA member who collects your proxy has more than nine. That way, CRONA can designate another member to vote the proxy instead, so no one submits too many and all votes count.

Yes! Submit a proxy via CRONA’s website, email or fax if you are not able to vote in person.

Fun! It is a real affirmation of all that CRONA Nurses stand for. It’s an empowering feeling to cast your vote in person with other CRONA Nurses. However, we realize that not everyone can come in person on voting day, and that’s why we have the proxy voting system.

No! Your manager is not a CRONA member and is not allowed to carry your proxy. Your manager should not even accept your proxy or discuss your vote with you. This is for CRONA Nurses only.

As long as we have received your Membership Dues Authorization form that makes you a member of CRONA, you may vote. If you were hired very recently and have a question, please check with us at crona@crona.org. We will have the most up-to-date roster on voting day.

Because our printer and fax machine are at our office in Redwood City, and the vote is at a different location. We need to make sure there is time to get your proxy processed before voting ends.

That’s for the internal use of the people who process the votes. You may ignore it.

Because when you give someone your proxy, you authorize the holder of your proxy to vote for you.

Every time CRONA Nurses enter negotiations, we should all consider preparations to go on strike. That is part of what it means to be in a union – that we may be called upon to stand up for what we need. It is a good idea to consider where you would like to seek alternate work during a potential strike, or if you would prefer to not work elsewhere during a strike.

The CRONA membership. CRONA’s Bylaws call for a 2/3 vote (or 66.6%) of the entire membership to pass a strike vote. If you do not vote, it is a “No” vote.

The CRONA Executive Board, with input from the Negotiation Team, decides to call a strike vote if the Board determines that the negotiations are not making significant progress.