Los Angeles nurses plan picket over pediatric unit closure and layoffs

Registered nurses at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles are set to hold an informational picket on Monday, June 29, to protest the hospital administration’s decision to lay off essential unit support staff across the facility and close the pediatric unit, according to California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.

The nurses say management has repeatedly failed to respond to concerns about how reduced resources are affecting patient care and safety. They cite unsafe staffing, a lack of ancillary staff, increased workplace violence, and insufficient break relief as ongoing problems at the hospital.

The protest comes after management announced on June 1 a mass reduction of 82 employees. According to the nurses’ union, the layoffs include all nurses in the pediatric unit, all unit secretaries in the hospital, and other health care staff. The pediatric unit is scheduled to close on August 31, 2026.

Nurses notified their employer on June 18, 2026, that they would proceed with the informational picket. The action is scheduled for 6 to 9:30 a.m. at California Hospital Medical Center’s main entrance, 1401 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

“It is unbelievable CHMC has decided to close the pediatric unit,” said Laura Topete, RN in the postpartum unit at CHMC. “What will happen to our babies who need additional care after birth? Our patient population is limited, and the pediatric department helps keep moms and babies together. What will happen to these families when this unit closes?”

Topete’s remarks were included in the announcement as nurses described the impact they believe the closure will have on patients and families. The nurses say the pediatric department serves families that need added care after birth and helps keep mothers and babies together.

Nurses also say they have filed numerous assignment despite objection forms to document unsafe staffing and missed breaks. In their view, hospital management has not ensured a safe workplace and has instead told registered nurses to simply do more with less.

The press release also says CHMC management has invested in virtual monitoring services in place of certified nursing assistants, which nurses describe as a shift in care models intended to save money rather than support safe staffing.

“Nurses on the floor are already strained,” said Esmeralda Noriega, RN in the medical-surgical unit at CHMC. “What is going to happen when they lay off our unit secretaries and aides? The ability of our nurses to focus on the care needs of our patients will diminish, and our patients will suffer as a result. It is just not right.”

Gwladys Minko-Ashcraft, RN in the telemetry unit at CHMC, said leadership cannot ignore unsafe staffing and demands that nurses view as impossible. She said nurses are expected to care for patients, educate families, complete charting, and give medications on time without overtime and without missing breaks. She added that these expectations are not possible when resources are “nonexistent” and there are no unit aides or break coverage.

According to Minko-Ashcraft, nurses are getting sick and experiencing moral distress, while management does not want to hear their concerns.

The union also pointed to a recent National Nurses United report on pediatric care unit closures. NNU said the report, released on June 1, found that 25 percent of pediatric units were shut down nationally from 2014 to 2025. The union said three major Catholic hospital systems — Ascension, CommonSpirit and Trinity — closed pediatric units at the highest rates among major systems over the past decade. The release said the report is available here, though no additional details were provided in the source.

California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United, represents 815 nurses at California Hospital Medical Center. CHMC is part of CommonSpirit Health, where CNA/NNOC represents more than 17,000 nurses at 33 facilities across the country. The release says CommonSpirit has issued layoff notices to nurses and support staff at several facilities throughout California.

National Nurses United describes itself as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation, with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 registered nurses nationwide.