The union representing more than 200 workers at the state’s largest skilled- nursing facility said members have authorized a three-day strike in response to unfair treatment of employees.

More than 80 percent of the unionized employees at Hale Nani Rehabilitation &Nursing Center voted in favor of a strike set to begin at 5:30 p.m. May 16 and end at the same time May 19, according to Unite Here Local 5, the workers’ union, which filed three unfair labor practice charges against Hale Nani for “intimidating and surveilling union supporters.”

Hale Nani, owned by Utah-based Avalon Health Care, is a 288-bed facility at 1677 Pensacola St. with 270 patients and 416 employees. It opened in 1962. Local 5 represents 211 workers — primarily certified nursing assistants and employees in the dietary, maintenance, recreation and housekeeping departments.

Steve Gold, regional vice president of Hawaii-Avalon Health Care, said the facility is “fully prepared to provide all services and maintain our operations as usual” during the union strike and that management has been negotiating in good faith with Local 5 over the past four months. He didn’t disclose details of the contract negotiations.

Louie Bernardo, a 15-year nursing assistant at Hale Nani, said in a news release, “We are striking because management has been trampling over our union rights. They fired two of our union leaders on trumped-up charges. They’re trying to scare us.”

Holly Seui, a certified nursing assistant at Hale Nani, added that union workers are trying to raise awareness about the need for more staffing to better care for residents.

“Management is trying to intimidate us into being quiet,” she said. “They don’t want us to speak freely about working conditions.”

Gold at Hawaii-Avalon said management and the union are not far off on money issues.

“We are in fact close to agreement on numerous economic issues that will benefit employees,” Gold said. “But some of the recent demands are clearly outside the scope of collective bargaining including issues with personnel actions. Our current certified nursing assistant staffing levels are among the best in the state and are substantially higher than the national average. In fact, many of the current membership of Local 5 have voiced great dissatisfaction with the union’s tactics, including threats and intimidation, and have requested the ability to remove their membership from union roles.”

Avalon Health Care recently purchased the facility for about $44.6 million and also owns the Avalon Care Center in Kalihi and the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo. It is slated to open a senior living community called Kalakaua Gardens across from the Hawai‘i Convention Center in June.

Both workers and management at Hale Nani are encouraging patients and their families to get services at the facility during the strike.

“For more than 50 years Hale Nani has provided a legacy of quality skilled nursing care to the people of Hawaii,” Gold said. “Our business continues as usual.”