[KHTS] – The nurses at Henry Mayo announced a one-day strike May 1, amid a contract dispute over arbitration.

Hospital officials are hoping the strike can be averted with talks scheduled for Thursday, said Patrick Moody, spokesman for Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

Despite the protest, patient care, which is the hospital’s top priority, would continue with contingency plans that have already been set in place, Moody added.

“Patient safety is foremost on our minds,” Moody said, “that’s the first thing we think of.”

The contingency plans include rescheduling elective surgeries and having supervisory staff provide patient care, he said. “It’s all hands on deck.”

The California Nurses Association is authorizing strikes for about 6,400 nurses May 1, including over 2,300 in Los Angeles County, in a series of protests called by National Nurses United, according to its website.

The issue at Henry Mayo is arbitration, or grievance resolution, according to the nurses and hospital officials.

The nurses held a candlelight vigil at the hospital two weeks ago. The nurses have been operating without a contract since January.