HONOLULU, Hawaii (KHON2) -- Nearly 2,000 nurses from Queen's West and Queen's Punchbowl could go on strike at 7 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 13. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You "We are fully prepared for a strike if we need to," said Christy Lashley, a Queen's West cancer center oncology nurse. "We have been in mediation for 40 plus hours and we plan on being in mediation until the very end. Our strike starts at 7 a.m., if that's up until 6:59 a.m., that's what we do." Healthcare workers on Maui and Lanai ratify new contract, avoiding a second strike "We are passing back and forth so we're having good communications," said Caron Badis, a labor and delivery nurse at Queen's Punchbowl. "So, I think from there it's hopeful we don't strike, but if we do, we're ready, we're definitely ready." Nurses at the two Queen's facilities have been working without a contract since June 30, and say they are striking over unfair labor practices. "Over the years, myself as a nurse for over 15 years, we are expected to do more with a whole lot less," Lashley said. Queen's said it remains committed to being a trusted source of care. "We deeply regret the uncertainty this situation creates for our community. Queen’s serves the sickest and most vulnerable patients in Hawai‘i. We take this responsibility seriously and find it disheartening that our nurses are being led down a path that could negatively impact them, their families, this prestigious institution, our patients, and the mission of our Founders, King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. Our top priority remains to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of quality, safe patient care. As is standard practice, we have contracted with staffing agencies to provide a sufficient number of licensed, and experienced temporary replacement nurses should a strike take place. Despite over 45 bargaining sessions with HNA, we still do not have clarity on what the union truly wants. Unfortunately, it feels like HNA has set its sights on a strike, steering its members in that direction. Our offer to HNA would make Queen’s nurses the highest-paid in the state and among the highest in the nation. We are offering pay raises of 5% the first year, 4% the second year, and 4% for the third year for a total increase of 13% over three years.  A nurse with 5 years of service would earn $144,181.44/year ($72.02/hr + $5/hr) for a 3- day work week. Furthermore, safe staffing has always been a priority. As a Magnet-recognized hospital, our commitment to quality and safety is affirmed by leading organizations such as the American Nurses Association, the Joint Commission, and the American Heart Association. We even proposed including our staffing templates—similar to what HNA hailed as a victory in their negotiations with Kapiolani—yet HNA downplayed this offer, despite previously promoting it as a model for all hospitals they represent. From the beginning, we have worked to avoid a strike, recognizing the dangers of a work stoppage in any hospital setting. Over the past nine months, we have made significant efforts to address HNA's concerns. However, the focus seems to have shifted away from collaborative bargaining toward public rhetoric about "battles" and "wins." We don’t view this as a win-or-lose situation. A strike jeopardizes the health and safety of our community unnecessarily, especially when our offer already addresses safe staffing and places our nurses among the best compensated in the nation. Linda Puu, Chief Nursing Executive, the Queen's Health Systems "It's definitely not about the wage," said Badis. "Obviously, everyone wants to increase their wages across the board, however, patient safety is our ultimate goal so that's what we've been advocating for." Meanwhile, Hawaii Nurses Association said 159 nurses at Wilcox Hospital on Kauai will likely move forward with a three day-strike on Tuesday, January 14. The union said there has been no progress in negotiations. Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here Wilcox says its offered similar bargaining items the union agreed to at Kapiolani including across the board wage increases and flexible staffing matrix.