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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 4 WRAP-UP REPORT California FREMONT Registered nurses at Washington Hospital in Fremont, Calif., voted in favor of ratifying a new four-year contract on May 3, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention at their facility, announced California Nurses Association. The ratification finalizes a new collective bargaining agree- ment between nurses and Washington Hospital Healthcare System (WHHS). "Rati- fying this new contract is a major achievement for us as nurses and a union," said Kim Lake, RN in the Birthing Center and chief nurse representative at Washington Hospital. "Nurses fought hard and won on our key bar- gaining demands, achieving this historic contract for our members, patients, and com- munity." Highlights of the contract include precedent-setting language expanding infec- tious disease protocols and workplace violence protections, protecting meal and rest periods, and an across-the-board wage increase of 22.5 percent over the contract period. The new pact covers the period June 2023 to June 2027. CNA represents roughly 840 nurses at Wash- ington Hospital. OROVILLE Registered nurses at Oroville Hospital voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract in April, winning protec- tions to improve staffing, patient safety, and RN staff retention. California Nurses Associa- tion (CNA) represents nearly 400 members at the facility. "Our primary focus in negotia- tions has been safe patient care," said Eric Smith, RN and member of the bargaining team. "By improving staffing and workplace safety, we are able to continue our advocacy efforts at the bedside and beyond." Highlights of the contract include improved workplace violence prevention language, including a prevention plan and recommendations from a committee of union RNs; staffing language to ensure that management will consider the acuity of patients in a unit, pending admis- sions, and other factors before calling off nursing staff; and an 11 percent wage increase over the life of the contract and no takeaways to health care benefits or retirement plan. FRESNO Nurses at the Public Health Department in Fresno County voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new two-year contract in March. CNA represents nearly 100 nurses in the department. "We are very pleased that we have ratified a strong contract that we know will go a long way in retaining experienced nurses at the Public Health Department in Fresno County," said Sunshine Harder, RN and a public health nurse in the Nurse Family Partnership program. "With our recent victo- ries, including an increase in pension contributions, we have taken an important step to recruit and retain experienced nurses." Highlights of the contract include improved patient care through measures designed to retain and recruit experienced nurses; improved benefits, including an increase in employer pension contributions; and wage increases of 8 percent over the term of the agreement, in addition to the 10 per- cent negotiated by the union last year. VENTURA Ventura County Health System's per diem RNs and health care professionals voted over- whelmingly in favor of ratifying a five-year contract in March. The contract covers 130 health care staff, including per diem registered nurses, nurse practitioners, physician's assis- tants, psychiatric technicians, and licensed vocational nurses. "More per diem nurses means safer nurse-to-patient ratios and, with less need for travel nurses, a drastic reduction in costs for the county," said Camille Williams, a per diem RN and member of the bargaining team who works in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Contract highlights include improved workplace violence prevention and discrimination and sexual harassment preven- tion; improved opportunities to advocate for professional standards, working conditions, and patients and community, including the addition of externs into bargaining unit; a joint statement with Ventura County declaring racism a public health crisis; and historic eco- nomic gains in wage compensation and incentives, including up to 30 percent increases across-the-board over the life of the agreement for most bargaining unit members and an inter-campus float agreement. SACRAMENTO In April, CNA celebrated a victory for the single-payer health care movement. The California Assembly Health Committee voted to move A.B. 2200—the CA Guaran- teed Health Care for All Act, commonly known as CalCare—forward, sending the bill next to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. CNA rallied April 23 alongside other labor unions, advocacy groups, activists, elected officials and residents, who all gathered in support of CalCare. "Califor- nians recognize that our current health care system does not work, and we deserve bet- ter," said CNA President Michelle Gutierrez Vo, RN. "As nurses, we've seen far too many patients either forced to shoulder the insur- mountable cost of health care or struggling to get quality health care simply because of where they live or work. CalCare would not only transform our current system into one that works for everyone, it would also save our state government and taxpayers money, and we're thrilled that the Assembly Health Committee recognizes that this bill is a win- win for everyone." —Staff report From left: Nurses at Oroville Hospital in Northern California celebrate a contract victory; Nurses and other health care activists cheered the passage of CalCare, legislation that would establish guaran- teed health care for Californians, out of the Assembly health committee. NEWS BRIEFS