[brian]

LIHU'E, Kaua'i — A nurses' strike at Wilcox Hospital is now in its sixth week, and the nurses and hospital owner Hawai'i Pacific Health appear farther apart than they were when the strike began.

The latest proposal from the nurses, made this week, was rejected by the hospital. It followed the hospital's proposal last week, which included a number of features that nurses described as "punitive."

Among them, the termination of longevity pay, the elimination of 12 licensed practical nurse positions, the requirement that all nurses before rehiring pass a competency test that had not been required before the strike, requiring all nurses to work 12-hour shifts, and reserving exclusive right to make decisions about medical staffing.


More: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...0351/1004/NEWS