National Nurses United

CALIFORNIA O n feb. 12, California Assembly- member Ash Kalra, with the sponsorship of California Nurses Association (CNA), reintroduced A.B. 1900, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act. A.B. 1900, also known as CalCare, would enact a comprehensive framework for a single-payer health care coverage system in California at a time when California voters are ready to champion transformational changes in health care. A new poll conducted by David Binder Research found that nearly two-thirds of Cali- fornia voters want to see transformational changes, not minor reforms, to California's failed health care system. Uncertainty and anx- iety about health care costs have been rising—exacerbated by unprecedented trillion- dollar cuts at the federal level—with more than 40 percent of voters saying it's become harder to afford health care in the past several years. "We are proud to work with Assembly- member Kalra and the statewide grassroots movement behind this campaign to make CalCare a reality in 2026," said Sandy Red- ing, RN and a president of California Nurses Association. "CalCare is a winning issue for California Democrats. Elected representa- tives in Sacramento have a clear public mandate to pass CalCare." An overwhelming majority of Democrats— 86 percent—support single-payer health care, according to data released this week. The poll also shows that more than three-quarters of Democrats are more likely to support a candi- date for governor if they were to run on creating a single-payer system. There are 20 state elected representatives, including Asm. Kalra, who are joint authors or coauthors of CalCare. California's union nurses, represented by CNA, are committed to continuing to lead the organizing to build the grassroots movement necessary to win support for and pass CalCare. More than 270 organizations have endorsed CalCare. Hundreds of patients and commu- nity activists have already filled town halls this year to learn about this year's CalCare push and get prepared to build support for the bill. A.B. 1900 establishes the policy frame- work for a single-payer health care system in California, and intends to be considered sep- arate from a financing proposal. Until a financing proposal is passed, the costs incurred would be for convening the CalCare Board and Public Advisory Commission to develop a transition plan to CalCare, mini- mizing the impact on the budget this year. Once fully financed, California would start implementing CalCare. CalCare will ensure that all Californians, regardless of employ- ment, income, immigration status, race, gender, or any other considerations, can get the health care they need, free at the point of service. —Staff report CalCare legislation reintroduced Bill would establish single-payer, guaranteed health care system for the Golden State NEWS BRIEFS 10 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 A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 6 FLORIDA B y jan. 14, registered nurses at three South Florida hospitals owned by Healthcare Systems of America (HSA) finished voting in favor of ratifying new union contracts, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention. The new agree- ments are for nurses at three facilities: Florida Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, and Coral Gables Hospital in Coral Gables. Nurses represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the country's largest nurses union, had been prepared to strike on Jan. 9 at all three hospitals, but the strike was called off on Jan. 8 as a deal was reached. "This contract is full of wins for nurses and our patients," said Lazaro Garcia, RN in the critical care unit at Palmetto General Hospital. "We showed management we were prepared to strike to reach a deal, and now, we have the deal done and a contract that will continue to improve our hospitals." Highlights of the contract include enhanced protections to reduce unsafe staffing in critical care units, an expanded safety committee with more direct nurse involvement in conversations about patient safety, and minimum across-the-board raises of 12.25 percent over the life of the contract with pay retroactive to Oct. 1, 2025. "When we stand together, we win," said Leroy Desance, RN in the intensive care unit at Coral Gables Hospital. "HSA wants to try to continue the same practices that Steward was using, but our new contract proves things can get better when people work together." The new contracts cover the period from Jan. 13, 2026, to Jan. 13, 2029. NNOC/NNU represents more than 1,000 nurses combined at the three South Florida HSA hospitals. —Lucy Diavolo HSA nurses at three hospitals win new contracts Strike averted a week before RNs reached a new deal

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