Labor Unions Face Litigation Over Alleged Threats, Harassment, Intimidation and Conduct Jeopardizing Patient Care

Prime Healthcare seeks to protect patients, employees and families from alleged abandonment of care, conduct jeopardizing patient safety, and interference with hospital policies and procedures designed to protect patients

ONTARIO, Calif--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Prime Healthcare Services, Inc., Prime Healthcare Foundation, Dr. Prem Reddy and several Prime Healthcare executives filed a complaint today in the Superior Court of California, County of San Bernardino, seeking protection from conduct they allege has escalated well beyond legitimate labor activity. The lawsuit seeks narrowly tailored relief intended to stop alleged unlawful conduct while fully preserving lawful organizing, collective bargaining, peaceful protest and protected speech.

Prime Healthcare has long respected the rights of staff to organize and engage in lawful union activity, maintaining 42 collective bargaining agreements with unions across the country. However, the complaint filed today alleges that the California Nurses Association (“CNA”) and National Nurses United (“NNU”) crossed the line from lawful advocacy to unlawful conduct, including threats, harassment, intimidation, invasions of privacy and attacks targeting employees, individuals and their families, as well as conduct that endangers patient care and safety.

The alleged actions are not representative of the overwhelming majority of nurses who remain dedicated to their patients and their profession. Rather, the complaint focuses on the conduct of union leadership and those individuals alleged to have engaged in unlawful activity. Prime Healthcare believes lawful organizing and advocacy must be protected, but conduct that places patients at risk or threatens, harasses or intimidates others is inconsistent with nurses’ fundamental professional and ethical responsibilities to protect patient health and safety.

Threats, harassment and intimidation have no place in healthcare, in the workplace or in the legitimate exercise of labor rights. This conduct is unbecoming of the nursing profession and against the spirit of the oath that each nurse takes.

According to the complaint, the unions engaged in a coordinated campaign that extended beyond hospital workplaces and into the private lives and homes of executives, employees and their families. The lawsuit alleges that union representatives distributed materials near executives’ homes containing photographs and descriptions of their private residences; organized activity targeting executives and their families at their homes; trespassed onto private residential property; and published personal cellphone numbers while directing members and the public to contact them.

The complaint alleges that one executive alone subsequently received hundreds of unwanted calls, and many executives and staff, including nurses, received calls with abusive, vulgar, and deeply disturbing messages that included personal threats.

The complaint further alleges that CNA and NNU disseminated false statements and materially misrepresented facts, including the charitable activities of Prime Healthcare Foundation. Among numerous examples, the complaint alleges that the unions falsely stated that the Foundation provided only $3.5 million in uncompensated charity care in 2024, while Prime Healthcare Foundation reported approximately $357 million in uncompensated charity care during that period. According to the complaint, disputed statements remained publicly available even after cease-and-desist communications provided contrary information and requested correction or retraction.

The lawsuit also alleges that employees who did not support union organizing experienced pressure, intimidation and harassment, including unwanted contacts and uninvited visits to their homes. The right to organize must coexist with the right of every employee to make an individual decision about union representation without fear, coercion or intimidation.

The consequences are particularly serious in healthcare because labor disputes do not suspend the needs of patients. Hospitals must continue caring for patients every hour of every day. The complaint alleges: abandonment of patient-care responsibilities; timecard fraud; interference with caregivers attending to patients; interfering with patient safety huddles; calling for strikes at multiple hospitals at the same time; and reckless disregard for established hospital policies and procedures designed to protect patient safety.

“There is room for passionate disagreement and lawful advocacy, but there should never be room for threats, intimidation, harassment, targeting families or jeopardizing patient care,” said Rosenda Barrera, MSN, RN. “The overwhelming majority of nurses come to work every day committed to caring for their patients. Nothing about a labor dispute should compromise that fundamental responsibility or the safety and dignity of patients, caregivers and their families.”

The complaint asserts claims including defamation, interference with contractual and economic relationships, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy and harassment. Plaintiffs seek damages and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief intended to prevent further alleged harassment, disclosure of private personal information and continued publication of statements alleged to be false and defamatory.

Importantly, the requested relief does not seek to prevent lawful organizing, collective bargaining, peaceful demonstrations, protected speech or legitimate criticism of Prime Healthcare. It seeks relief from conduct the complaint alleges falls outside those protections.

Prime Healthcare Services and Prime Healthcare Foundation, a not-for-profit public charity, remain dedicated to “saving hospitals, saving jobs and saving lives,” with 55 award-winning hospitals across 15 states recognized for quality and social responsibility, serving more than three million patient visits annually. Their focus remains on supporting caregivers, protecting employees and their families, and ensuring safe, compassionate, high-quality care for the communities they are honored to serve.

About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation

Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 55 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations in 15 states, providing over 3.0 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems, with more than 60,000 staff and affiliated physicians. Twenty-one of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a 10 Top and 15 Top Health System by Truven Health Analytics. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 75 times, and Prime Healthcare is one of Healthgrades’ most awarded health systems in the nation for patient safety.

To learn more, please visit primehealthcare.com.

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