5,000 Stanford nurses and their families could lose health insurance if they go on strike as planned

Colleen Borges is one of those nurses and the president of CRONA, the nurse association.

She and her colleagues are, among other things, asking for a raise in wages and an increase in headcount, she said.

RELATED: From SF to Napa, here’s why Bay Area hospitals are experiencing extreme staffing shortages

“You are world-renowned institutions,” Borges said.

On Saturday, Stanford released a statement to ABC7 News about the nurses’ decision.

It reads, in part:

“While we respect the right of nurses to participate in this work action, we are disappointed that the union has decided to go on strike. We are proud of our nurses and have proposed offer highly competitive contract terms, including market-leading pay, and proposals that help us stay committed to advancing our nursing and wellness teams.”

In response to the strike, Stanford also announced it would suspend some benefits for those who opted in.

If you are using the ABC7 News app, click here to watch it live

A separate statement to ABC7 News read in part:

“We’ve informed the union that nurses who choose to strike will not be paid for any shifts they miss. In addition, employer-paid health benefits will end on May 1 for nurses to strike and remain out for the remainder of the month in which the strike began.”

Although Stanford says the move is standard practice — and employees will be able to expand their coverage through COBRA — it has angered the nurses’ union.

An online solidarity petition has more than 15,000 signatures.

“I don’t know if they’re using it as a tactic to scare the nurses. Say, look, you walk out, here are the consequences. But it didn’t. It backfired. The the nurse was angrier than before,” Borges said.

And while both sides say they are ready to come to the negotiating table again, for now, it looks like a strike is all but inevitable.