Kauai awaits, with more than a bit of anxiety, for news of 159 nurses’ votes, concluding at 8 tonight, on whether to authorize a possible strike at Wilcox Medical Center. That follows a similar positioning by the 1,900 unionized nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center, main and West Oahu campuses.

After Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children weathered two strikes and an 18-day management lockout against nurses earlier this year, it’s plain these standoffs can lead to real disruptions. Let’s hope for better news on the health-care front in 2025.