National Nurses United

National Nurse magazine July-August-September 2018

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8 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 WRAP-UP REPORT California EMANUEL MEDICAL CENTER in late august, RNs at Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock celebrated an overwhelm- ing vote to ratify their first contract with the California Nurses Association/NNU. The pact, covering more than 360 nurses, features patient care and wage and benefit improve- ments through 2021 and brings RNs under the umbrella of a statewide contract between CNA and the hospital's parent company, Tenet Healthcare. Joining the master contract successfully brings Emanuel nurses up to the wage and benefit standards of other CNA- represented Tenet hospitals, and provides patient care provisions equal to those negoti- ated in other CNA agreements. "We are very excited to have achieved a contract that gives us a united voice in patient care issues," said Maria Sullivan, RN of the surgical depart- ment. "There is no doubt this contract is a big win for nurses and patients." WEST ANAHEIM MEDICAL CENTER registered nurses at West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim approved their first CNA contract that they say will greatly improve their ability to provide and advocate for safe patient care. The three-year pact covers 300 RNs at West Anaheim and high- lights include many provisions that are stan- dard among CNA contracts including provisions for safe patient handling and safe staffing; economic gains in line with other CNA contracts; establishment of a profession- al practice committee; and protections against unsafe floating. "This is really historic. We are really happy with the results for this first contract," said Emma Chirtes, a 13-year West Anaheim RN working in the cardiac catheterization lab and chair of the nurse bargaining team. "This contract will defi- nitely improve patient care because it will improve RN retention. If you have happy nurses, you will have happy patients." The nurses' solidarity made this first contract possible just 11 months after union- izing with CNA last October. They look forward to building on this first contract and expanding the power of nurses to advocate for patients within the Prime Healthcare Services system, which owns 45 hospitals in 14 states. In California, CNA represents some 2000 nurses working at five Prime facilities. Maine registered nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in September ratified a new three-year contract covering 872 nurses. "We are so proud that nurses stood together with the community to achieve this major victory for our patients and our colleagues," said Cokie Giles, RN, bargaining team member and president of Maine State Nurses Association/ National Nurses Organizing Committee/NNU. "We did spend many days at the bargaining table, but the real work was done by nurses organizing in their departments and in our community: to raise awareness, to find consen- sus on our priorities and to press management to seriously address our issues in negotiations." The agreement features strong safe- guards for patients and RNs, including language protecting the role of the charge nurse and the nurses' "complement unit" system which ensures patients receive care from nurses who are trained and experi- enced to meet their specialized needs. It also features economic gains to keep up with inflation and protections for nurse bene- fits—all of which help strengthen the recruitment and retention of experienced nurses for the wider Bangor community. —Staff report NEWS BRIEFS From top: CNA/NNOC receives award in July from the California Labor Federation for increased membership in the face of Janus; West Anaheim Medical Center nurses celebrate their first contract; Eastern Maine Medical Center RNs held a candlelight vigil as part of their successful contract negotiations.

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