Campaign Time Line

Oct 2, 2008 - Saint John's RNs deliver a petition indicating their desire to organize for with CNA for collective patient care advocacy rights, signed by a majority of their colleagues  to hospital administration. Read the Petition.

Oct 11, 2008  -   Saint John's RNs reach out to Saint John's donor community at the annual Caritas ball. Read about the event.

Nov 1, 2008   -  Saint John's RNs show their unity by wearing ribbons reading "Saint John's RNs for Safe Patient Care."  Management reacts defensively, and breaks federal labor law by demanding RNs remove the ribbons.

Nov 20, 2008  -  Saint John's RNs and community supporters hold a press conference to announce they have been forced to file Federal Unfair Labor Practice Charges against Saint John's for violating their free speech rights on the day of the ribbon campaign.  Read about the charges.

Dec 17, 2008 - Saint John's RNs, with support from nearby UCLA RNs, hold a candle light Vigil to protest diversion of patient care funds to highly paid anti-union consultants. Saint John's administration admits to hiring consultants and defends the decision. Read about the Vigil.

Feb 26, 2008 - Saint John's RNs release a unit-by-unit report on the patient care issues caused by management's emphasis on the bottom line and refusal to listen to the concerns voiced by their own RNs. Read the Patient Care Issues Report.

March 4, 2009 - 14-year Saint John's RN is reinstated with back pay after her colleagues and local clergy demanded management end her unjust suspension for speaking up about patient care issues in the Oncology Department. Read about the incident.

May 21, 2009 - After Saint John's management ejects off-duty RNs from the hospital grounds and threatens them with arrest - in stark contrast to past practice - RNs hold a press conference to announce they have filed further Unfair Labor Practice charges. Read about the ULPs.

July 29, 2009 -  As Saint John's administration holds a ribbon-cutting for their sleek new building, several dozen RNs, local clergy and community supporters hold a ribbon tying ceremony to call upon Saint John's to recognize Catholic Social Teaching and come to an agreement with their RNs for a fair and just organizing process without acrimony. Read about the ceremony.

Sept 6, 2009 - After attending the Labor Day mass, Saint John's RNs deliver a letter to Cardinal Mahoney describing Saint John's anti-RN campaign and its refusal to enter into a local agreement for a fair organizing process as called for by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops' white paper "Respecting the Just Rights of Workers." Read "Respecting the Just Rights of Workers."

Oct 10, 2009 - Saint John's RNs trace an "Employee Survey" distributed by management to The Foresight Group, an expensive PR group with ties to union busting consultants that specializes in diverting employees from seeking collective bargaining rights.  Read about the survey. Read about The Foresight Group.

Oct 24, 2009 - Saint John's RNs greet Saint John's donors on the way to their annual charity ball with roses and a second petition from a majority of Saint John' RNs calling on management to abide by Catholic Social Teaching and enter into an organizing agreement with it's caregivers.

Oct 29, 2009 - Nurses and Neighbors invites Saint John's management and City of Santa Monica elected officials to a public meeting to discuss the environmental health concerns related to Saint John's long term construction project. Management refuses to enter into the discussion. Read the Santa Monica Daily Press coverage.

Nov 4, 2009 - Santa Monica Daily Press columnist takes up Saint John's RNs' call for the Hospital to fix the sewage odor in patient care areas and in the surrounding neighborhood. Read the column.

Jan 20, 2010 - Santa Monica Daily Press' Word in Edgewise column calls on Sister Sue Miller of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Saint John's sponsoring order of Women Religious, to address the environmental health impacts of its development project. Read the column.

Jan 22, 2010 - Saint John's Labor and Delivery RN Liz Wade, in a Letter to the Editor of the Santa Monica Daily Press, calls on Saint John's administration to open it's heart to the principals of Catholic Social Teaching negotiate a local organizing agreement with it's RNs. Read the letter.

Feb 24, 2010 - Sisters of Charity Health System - Saint John's parent corporation - violates RNs rights to a fair election in union organizing campaign at Saint Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Montana. Weeks later, the Federal government files Unfair Labor Practice charges against Saint Vincent's as Saint John's goes on trial for similar violations (see below). Read the Billings Gazette article about the charges in Montana.

Feb 26, 2010 - Santa Monica Daily Press reveals that the City of Santa Monica has not reviewed Saint John's compliance with it's Development Agreement, as required annually by law, for "years."  Read the SM Daily Press article.

June 16, 2010 – In the long-awaited result of the hospital administration's trial a Federal Administrative Law Judge finds that Saint John’s violated its RNs’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Click here for more information, or Read the Decision. 

July 8, 2010 - In the wake of the Federal Administrative Judge's decision, Saint John's RNs, Santa Monica City Councilman Kevin McKeown, local labor, faith and elected leaders hold a press conference calling on the administration to respect RNs rights and enter into a new and respectful relationship with frontline caregivers. Read the Santa Monica Daily Press article about the event.

August 25, 2010 – The US Department of Justice reveals that Saint John’s has settled a Medicare Fraud investigation for $5.25 Million. Click here for more information, Read the Settlement or Read the Santa Monica Daily Press article about the fraud settlement.