Nurses at Washington Hospital Center started walking the picket line Friday morning, but hospital officials said operations inside were normal.
Unable to agree on a contract, the nurses approved a one-day strike, but those participating will be off the job longer than that.
The hospital brought in hundreds of temporary nurses on a five-day contract. A hospital spokesperson said the staff nurses will not be allowed to come back to work until that five-day period has ended.
The nurses walking the picket line said higher staffing levels are needed to ensure patient safety. But hospital officials said safety has not been raised during negotiations. They believe the strike is about money.
While hundreds walked the picket line, a hospital spokeswoman said participation in the strike is far from unanimous. So Young Pak said about two-thirds of the 300 or so nurses scheduled to work the day shift Friday showed up for work.
Pak said the hospital was actually overstaffed Friday and more than 100 surgeries were performed. There were more than 700 patients at the hospital.
Private security guards and police were on the scene monitoring the situation. For a time, the striking nurses moved their picket line onto the hospital campus. After a half hour, police moved the crowd to Irving Street.
