Thousands of nurses at Stanford hospitals are striking over wages and mental health

Health care workers went on strike in Palo Alto. Thousands of nurses at the two hospitals went on strike Monday over a fight for fair contracts.

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The nurses at the two hospitals went on strike Monday to demand better pay, more staffing and more support for their mental health.

The committee for recognition of nursing achievement announced on Sunday that the nurses from both hospitals would go on strike on Monday.

The union says 98% of nurses voted to go on strike.

As one of the nation's top health care systems, Stanford and Packard have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and work with nurses to solve the burnout and exhaustion that is driving many of us to reconsider our jobs and our profession.

A strike has always been the last resort for CRONA nurses, but we are prepared to make sacrifice today for the changes that the nursing profession and our patients need.

The nurses gave the hospitals notice of their intention to strike after the union and hospital management failed to reach an agreement.

The labor contracts for nurses at the hospitals expired.

The only way to get change in the hospitals is to stand up and fight, according to a nurse in an interview with ABC 7 News.

Reed, who has worked as a nurse at the hospital for 18 years, told ABC 7 News that she has seen a shift in culture over time.

Reed told ABC 7 that things have started to change into more of a business over patient situation.

Dale Beatty, the chief nurse executive for Stanford Health Care, said in an interview with NPR that the contract offer reflects the values of the company.

We feel very strongly about our proposal and our package. Beatty said that they were interested in getting the nurses and the union back to the table to negotiate.

The union has not announced an end to the strike, but representatives are scheduled to meet with hospital officials Tuesday.

There have been other nurse strikes. Thousands of nurses in Northern California went on strike last week. Nurses at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C. went on strike over low wages.