A nurses’ strike scheduled for Friday is on at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children after talks failed to yield a new contract.

The Hawaii Nurses’ Association and hospital management today held another round of negotiations in a last-ditch effort to avert the scheduled, one-day strike and subsequent lockout. There was no resolution.

HNA OPEIU Local 50 said Friday’s strike is an “unfair labor practice” strike to protest the hospital’s retaliation for reporting unsafe staffing conditions. Kapi‘olani management has said it has a strong policy against retaliation at the hospital.

HNA, which represents about 600 nurses, had notified Kapi‘olani on Sept. 3 that it intended to hold the one-day strike, and hospital executives responded the following day by saying they would impose a lockout to encourage the acceptance of its fair and generous offer.

“This is a sad day for Hawaii,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu in a news release. “Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children know they are the only specialty hospital for women and children and play a crucial role in our state and the Pacific. They know children and families count on their services, yet the hospital’s leaders have chosen to lock out the nurses for advocating for safe staffing standards to improve patient care.”

HPH has enough assets to increase nurse staffing levels, she said, but has chosen instead to spend its resources on travel nurses, who do not have the same level of experience or cultural competence as Kapi‘olani nurses.

“We cannot remain silent and agree to a contract that skirts the core issue of patient safety,” she added. “Unfortunately, Hawaii’s patients have become innocent bystanders in this battle being waged against the nurses.”

Gidget Ruscetta, Kapiolani’s chief operating officer, has said the hospital will bring in a temporary workforce during the labor dispute, and that it will remain fully staffed.

“We are extremely disappointed that the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association decided to end talks early, which will lead to a strike and lockout for our nurses,” said Kapi‘olani Chief Operating Officer Gidget Ruscetta in an emailed statement. “Our Kapi‘olani negotiation team came prepared to stay as long as possible today to reach a deal that would immediately benefit our nurses. Unfortunately, after less than three hours, HNA ended negotiations for the day. We want to reassure everyone that Kapi‘olani has secured a highly skilled temporary workforce and will be fully staffed in order to provide uninterrupted care.”

HNA has filed an injunction to stop the lockout with the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB, however, will not make a decision on the injunction before Friday, said Agas-Yuu.

The Kapi‘olani nurses have been without a contract since Dec. 1, and Friday will mark one year since negotiations began.