National Nurses United

18 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 O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 WRAP-UP REPORT Arizona registered nurses at Carondelet St. Mary's Hospital and St. Joseph's Hospital in Tucson, Ariz. voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract in July, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention, including wage increases between 7.75 percent to 37 percent over the term of the agreement, plus an increase to the night shift differential. The new agreement will be in effect until May 31, 2026. NNOC represents nearly 600 nurses at the two facilities. "Nurses at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's are elated to have ratified the second registered nurse contract in the state of Arizona," said Dominique Hamilton, RN in the ICU at St. Mary's. "This contract will ensure nurses are able to safely and effec- tively care for our patients." California since june, nurses represented by Califor- nia Nurses Association (CNA) at nine facilities throughout the Golden State rati- fied new contracts and health care workers represented by Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union (CHEU) at three facilities in the state ratified new agreements. In June, nurses at John Muir Behavioral Health Cen- ter (JMBHC) in Concord ratified a historic first contract and at USC Arcadia Hospital in Arcadia, CHEU members also ratified their very first contract, while RNs at the facility ratified a second contract. In July, nurses and health care workers at UCSF Benioff Chil- dren's Hospital Oakland (CHO) in Oakland ratified three-year agreements. In August, CNA and CHEU members ratified contracts at four facilities: a new three-year pact for nurses at Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, a new agreement for RNs at Central Coast VNA in Monterey, a four-year contract for health care workers at Glendale Memo- rial Hospital in Glendale, a three-year pact for nurses at Providence St. Joseph Hospital Eureka in Eureka and at Providence Red- wood Memorial Hospital in Fortuna. In September, RNs at Dameron Hospital in Stockton ratified a two-year contract. John Muir Behavioral Health Center nurses held a one-day strike in May before their unanimous ratification vote for their first contract. "The ratification of this contract underscores the mighty power of solidarity and collective action to achieve the aims that will benefit our community," said Amy Welsh-Ross, a registered nurse on the adult psychiatry/chemical dependency unit and a member of the bargaining team. For more details on each facility's win, visit www.NationalNursesUnited.org. Illinois registered nurses at Jackson Park Hos- pital in Chicago, Ill., voted unanimously in favor of ratifying a new three-year pact in October. Contract highlights include work- place violence prevention measures; recruitment and retention language, includ- ing incentives and bonuses and measures to prevent outsourcing of nurses and to priori- tize recruiting local union nurses; and increased tuition reimbursement for educa- tion. The agreement includes average wage increases of 17 percent over the life of the contract. "We are so proud of this new con- tract," said Jennifer Harris-Goldsmith RN in the case management department. "We were able to overcome and collectively win a con- tract that will improve staffing and patient outcomes, all without taking any concessions and significantly increasing compensation for bedside nurses." Maine in july, nurses at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle, Maine, voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new four-year contract. Highlights of the contract include health and safety provisions, improved workplace violence protections, no contract takeaways, and annual increases in pay, including a minimum of 8.6 percent upon ratification and 2.5 to 3.5 across-the- board increases annually. "This strong contract is a victory for patients and for union nurses," said Lori McPherson, RN in the recovery unit and a member of the bar- gaining team at AR Gould Hospital. "We are proud that we fought for an agreement that includes provisions for safe staffing, which is essential for safe patient care and for recruit- ing and retaining nurses." National over the summer and fall, National Nurses United and our affiliates across the country stood in solidarity with the striking members of the Screen Actors Guild-Ameri- can Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America. Nurses also joined actors on the strike line in support of their strike, which ended on Nov. 8 after 118 days. SAG-AFTRA members reached a tentative agreement on Nov. 10 and ratified a new agreement in December. Nurses, actors, and writers alike shared concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in their industries at the expense of workers and, in the case of health care, patients. —Staff report Clockwise from top left: Tucson nurses celebrate ratification of new contracts; Maine RNs made gains with new pact; nurses show solidarity with SAG-AFTRA and WGA workers on Los Angeles strike lines over similar AI concerns. NEWS BRIEFS

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