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16 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 A P R I L | M AY | J U N E 2 0 2 2 WRAP-UP REPORT California ALVARADO HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER in may, rns at Alvarado Hospital Medical Center in San Diego voted in favor of a new three-year agreement. Earlier this year, the nurses held their first informational picket, marching to demand a fair contract, and gar- nering solid community support. After their picket, the RNs voted 94 percent in favor of authorizing the bargaining team to call a strike. This was the nurses' very first strike authorization vote, empowering the RNs at the table. They won floating protections, wage increases ranging from 13 to 23.6 per- cent over the life of the contract, and per diem increases from 13 to 22 percent over three years. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY in june, rns in Contra Costa County voted 93 percent in favor of a new agreement, win- ning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention across the county. The contract covers more than 1,100 public-sec- tor medical center, public health, corrections center, and clinical registered nurses and nurse practitioners. The major wins in the contract include enhanced patient protec- tions, safe staffing, infection control issues, and economic gains to improve staff recruit- ment and retention. The nurses also won minimum across-the-board wage increases of 23 percent over the life of the contract, with the first-year increase at 11 percent. HENRY MAYO NEWHALL HOSPITAL registered nurses at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement in April. Contract highlights include improved patient care, staffing, and nurse advocacy provisions, and improvements addressing workplace violence, and infec- tious disease protocols. The RNs won across-the-board increases ranging from 11.1 percent to 25 percent over the term of the contract. They will also see increases to their uniform allowance, shift differentials, and on-call pay. LONG BEACH MEDICAL CENTER/MILLER CHIL- DREN'S & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL in june, registered nurses at Long Beach Medical Center/Miller Children's & Women's Hospital in Long Beach ratified a new three- year contract. The new agreement, which covers 2,000 nurses, includes protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention. Contract highlights include floating protec- tions and language to ensure the professional practice committee can address patient care and safety issues in a timely manner. The RNs also won across-the-board increases ranging from 15.5 percent to 49.29 percent over the life of this agreement, as well as increases in shift differentials, on- call, and preceptor pay. SAN MATEO COUNTY in april, registered nurses at San Mateo County in Redwood City voted 94 percent in favor of ratifying a new four-year con- tract, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention at their public-sector facility. Contract highlights include infectious disease protections, inclusion and participation in the County Health Systems Infectious Disease Control Committee, anti-discrimination and harassment language, and improved break language. The nurses also won minimum across-the-board wage increases of 19.5 percent over four years and a $2,000 lump sum bonus upon ratification. WEST ANAHEIM MEDICAL CENTER in april, registered nurses at West Ana- heim Medical Center in Anaheim overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention. Earlier in the year, the RNs held an informational picket to protest the impact of chronic short staffing on patient care. Contract highlights include health and safety improvements, new float pool nurse classification so RNs are floated to units in their area of expertise, sig- nificant language improvements to the disciplinary language, and economic gains that will significantly improve the hospital's ability to attract and retain RNs. Illinois JACKSON PARK HOSPITAL chicago registered nurses at Jackson Park Hospital approved a new 15-month agreement that aligns their contract with two other Windy City facilities, the Univer- sity of Chicago Medical Center and Community First Medical Center. The nurses won 5 percent across-the-board wage increases for all classifications and steps, a ratification/pandemic bonus of $1,100, a 50 percent increase in their retention bonus, and a 20 percent increase to extra shift pay extended for 15 months. Maine HOULTON REGIONAL HOSPITAL houlton regional Hospital RNs in Houl- ton voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract in early April, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention. The new pact includes improved workplace violence protections; improvements in staffing, including a guaranteed added shift in the emergency department; and a guaranteed employer match of the retirement plan. The nurses also won 19 to 21 percent total wage increases over the life of the contract. —Staff report From left: RNs held actions and ratified contracts at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, West Anaheim Medical Center, Jackson Park Hospital, and Houlton Regional Hospital. NEWS BRIEFS