More than two thousand registered nurses across Los Angeles are gearing up for coordinated walkouts starting Thursday, Feb. 19, in a high-profile showdown over working conditions and health coverage. The plan calls for a seven-day strike at USC Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Center, paired with a one-day strike at Centinela Hospital Medical Center. Union leaders say months of stalled contract talks over staffing, benefits and nurses' own health plans pushed them to the brink.
What’s Planned
The California Nurses Association says the Keck and Norris strike will run from 7 a.m. on Feb. 19 through 6:59 a.m. on Feb. 26, with an 8:30 a.m. rally kicking off the first morning. At Centinela, nurses are planning a separate walkout from 7 a.m. Feb. 19 to 6:59 a.m. Feb. 20, with a 1 p.m. rally that day.
Union leaders argue that USC is trying to squeeze nurses at the bargaining table by reshaping their health care options. "Instead of improving access to care, USC has made the no-premium health plan worse and is using it as leverage in negotiations," said Valerie Hernandez, an RN, in the union's announcement, according to National Nurses United.
Why Nurses Say They’re Striking
At Centinela, nurses say the breaking point has been what they describe as chronic short staffing and "unsafe conditions" that they argue put patients at risk. "Chronic short staffing and unsafe conditions make it harder to provide the care our patients deserve," said Elexa Elkins, an RN at Centinela.
According to the Centinela strike announcement, nurses there have been in negotiations since July 2025 and voted nearly unanimously on Jan. 14 to authorize a strike, as reported by California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.
Hospital Response and Patient Impact
Keck Medicine has tried to reassure patients that care will not grind to a halt. The health system told local reporters that its facilities "will remain open and fully staffed with doctors, nurses and all other clinical professionals" during the walkouts. The hospital also says its latest contract proposal includes increased resource staffing, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.
Union organizers counter that changes to nurses' health coverage could ripple far beyond the bargaining table. They warn that shifting employees and their families into USC's network might overload appointment systems and stretch out wait times for other patients. The union says it gave hospitals the required 10 days' notice so that contingency plans could be put in place.
Background and What to Watch
USC nurses have been bargaining with the university since May 2025 and previously staged a one-day strike in October, citing missed breaks and a lack of resource nurses, according to USC Annenberg Media.
With multiple facilities now preparing walkouts, both sides could feel more pressure to move at the bargaining table in the days leading up to Feb. 19. Patients with scheduled procedures or appointments at the affected hospitals are being urged to check directly with their providers about any potential changes.
The strikes are slated to begin Feb. 19, and developments could unfold quickly as hospitals and union leaders work out their next moves. This story will be updated as new statements and responses come in from both sides.
