LAKEPORT, Calif. — As health care workers plan to picket at its campus on Tuesday, Sutter Lakeside Hospital leadership said it’s disappointed in the action in the midst of negotiations for a new contract.

The picket will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Sutter Lakeside Hospital in Lakeport.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West said frontline health care workers represented by the union — from nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and licensed vocational nurses, to cooks and technicians — will hold protests at Sutter Lakeside Hospital and seven other Sutter hospitals and medical Centers across California on Tuesday in response to short staffing and wages that don’t keep up with inflation.

In response to the action, Sutter Lakeside issued a statement to Lake County News in which it noted, “We are disappointed by SEIU’s decision to prioritize public demonstrations over engaging in constructive dialogue.”The statement continued, “The union announced pickets after just one week of bargaining. Sutter Health is focused on reaching a fair and equitable agreement through good-faith negotiations at the bargaining table, and we believe that isn’t achieved through unproductive picket lines.

“While we respect the right to demonstrate, these pickets are not impacting patient care. Our hospitals and clinics remain open and fully operational, and we continue to provide safe, high-quality care to the communities we serve. We remain focused on reaching a fair agreement through continued collaboration at the bargaining table.” 

If the protest goes forward in Lakeport, it would be the first time such an action has taken place at the hospital in over three years.