Over 1,000 MarinHealth workers to strike over healthcare benefits
By Da Lin
About 1,300 nurses and support staff at MarinHealth Medical Center plan to stage a one-day strike on Wednesday, citing stalled contract negotiations over wages and healthcare benefits.
More than 700 nurses represented by the California Nurses Association and another 500 technical and professional employees represented by Teamsters Local 856 are expected to walk off the job at the Greenbrae hospital.
Hospital administrators have notified striking employees that they will not be allowed to return to work until Saturday morning, citing contract requirements tied to replacement workers who will be brought in to maintain operations.
For Cheryl, a nursing assistant who has worked at MarinHealth since 2020, the dispute is deeply personal.
“We are just trying to get affordable healthcare to be able to just live and survive. I’m a single parent. I have a son. And my son actually is blind. I want to make sure that he’s able to see the best doctors as any parent would for their child,” she said.
Cheryl said under the hospital’s proposal, her healthcare costs could rise dramatically.
“I would go from paying $0 to around $600 to $700, which is a very big chunk of money that does come out of my monthly budget,” she said.
Union leaders said healthcare benefits remain the biggest sticking point in negotiations.
“The hospital has been engaging in bad faith bargaining tactics, delay tactics, cancelling session tactics,” claimed Susanna Farber, vice president of Teamsters Local 856.
Tensions escalated further during a recent board meeting of the Marin Healthcare District, which oversees the hospital.
According to union leaders and a board meeting video, board chair Ann Sparkman directed a personal attack at Farber during a heated exchange in the meeting.
“I’m asking you to sit down now and I mean it. And you need to get some new shoes, too. B****,” Sparkman could be heard saying in the video.
Farber called the comment unprofessional, particularly the use of the “B” word, though she brushed off part of the criticism.
“I had to laugh at the shoe comment because I love these shoes and they are very comfortable,” Farber said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the district wrote, “The Board regrets that comment. It does not reflect the standards of professionalism and respect that guide the Marin Healthcare District. Public meetings can involve strong emotions and differing viewpoints, and the Board remains committed to providing fair opportunities for public participation while maintaining an orderly and productive environment.”
Cheryl said comments like that only add to the frustration workers are already feeling.
“I thought that was very disrespectful and unprofessional, very childish, and I don’t think someone like that should be representing us,” she said.
In a separate statement, MarinHealth said the hospital will remain fully open and operational during the strike. Officials said extensive preparations have been made to ensure continuity of care, with contingency staff in place across impacted areas.
They added, “scheduled appointments, procedures, and surgeries are proceeding as planned unless patients are contacted directly by their care teams.”
