Eight nurses sue Twin Cities Hospital

March 31, 2015

nurse drawingEight nurses who work at Twin Cities Community Hospital are suing their employer claiming the hospital has denied them meal and rest breaks and has shorted their pay.

All eight of the nurses are women who have worked at the Templeton hospital for more than 18 years. Pasadena law firm Traber & Voorhees and San Luis Obispo firm Baltodano & Baltodano filed suit on behalf of the nurses in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

“The purpose of this lawsuit is to change the culture of the hospital so that nurses receive proper breaks and patients receive proper care,” the suit states. “This lawsuit is also about wage theft by a hospital that is more interested in lining its coffers than paying its nurses a fair day’s wage for a hard day’s work.”

The suit alleges that Twin Cities policy prohibits nurses from taking rest breaks unless they find someone to tend to their patients. But, the hospital routinely understaffs in order to increase profits, and there often are not enough nurses on duty to cover for each other, according to the lawsuit.

Additionally, nurses usually do not receive rest breaks until eight or nine hours into their shifts. They also must sign meal wavers, and they do not receive food breaks until late in their shifts, if at all, the suit alleges.

The lawsuit claims that Twin Cities created an alternative work schedule that exempts the hospital from paying an overtime premium for the 9th through 12th hours of nurses’ shifts. But, Twin Cities violates the agreement by forcing nurses to leave early when there are fewer patients in the hospital.

Likewise, the hospital improperly calculates overtime pay by excluding bonuses and other forms of compensation from the formula, the suit alleges.

The eight nurses are suing for underpaid wages plus interest, civil penalties, attorney’s fees, legal costs and any other relief deemed proper.


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I have personal knowledge of what has gone on at Twin Cities for way too long.

These nurse named in the lawsuit are some of the finest critical care nurses anywhere.

I would trust them to care for my children and husband with full confidence.

These wage and missed break issues has been going on for years. I know these

nurses have tried everything in the past 4 years at least and no longer

have anyone in management who will advocate for them against the corporation

who is all about money. Of course middle management gets caught in the middle and

the department directors get it from above and below. But PATIENT CARE should take

precedence over everything. I know for a fact these RN’s run themselves ragged

day after day doing the best they can. These are dedicated nurses taking care

of the sickest patients in ICU and DOU. You cannot just walk away from these patients

at your convenience to do your charting.They have needed a regular break nurse or 2 for years

yet refuse to provide that. And their scheduling has become a nightmare. Different days off

every week at the whims of a scheduler does not care. I am proud of these nurses for taking up

the fight for all the RN’s there. The rest of you, don’t be afraid to join the fight.

There are power in numbers and this community is behind you.