Members of California Nurses Association and National Nurses United are holding a one-day strike Thursday at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital, California's second largest private hospital and one of its most profitable corporate hospital chains, to dispute patient care protections and corporate hospital demands.

The strike is impacting 2,000 RNs at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach, Calif., as well as 4,000 RNs employed at nine Bay Area facilities that are part of the Sutter Corporation.

Long Beach RNs are in dispute with hospital management over assuring a safe RN-to-patient staffing ratio is present at all times and the hospital's refusal to establish safe patient lift policies, regardless of the requirement by state law. Long Beach nurses also oppose hospital demands for higher health care premiums, which would cost RNs nearly $3,000 more in out-of-pocket costs.