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M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 6 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 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 11 SANTA CRUZ VISITING NURSES In June, RNs working for Sutter Health's Visiting Nurse Association of Santa Cruz approved a four-year agreement that includes 16 percent wage increases over the contract term; improved life, dental, and vision cover- age; and many other benefits. In addition, nurses were able to rescind a previously- signed agreement that would have altered the eligibility of part-time nurses to receive health benefits, and successfully fought back a management proposal regarding altering a point system that monitors work volume. WATSONVILLE COMMUNITY HOSPITAL Some 300 registered nurses at Watsonville Community Hospital were able to reach a new contract agreement with Community Health Systems (CHS) on the eve of a two-day strike they called in mid June. After a long dispute with the hospital, nurses were able to successfully address signifi- cant staffing concerns, achieve economic improvements, and protect their health coverage. "I am very proud of the nurses who have worked hard—and the friends, family, and neigh- bors who rallied around them—to win these key staffing issues at our hospital," said RN Jennifer Holm. "This victory is about nurses being able to provide care to patients in our community." Illinois Jackson Park Hospital RNs in Chicago rati- fied a new three-year contract in May that improves staffing, wages and benefits, and will help recruit experienced nurses by recognizing more years of nursing done outside the system. Nurses won new patient care support nurses to work during peak periods and assist with break relief, admis- sions, discharges, and other needs; increased security for their behavioral medicine unit; a new mediation process for disputes that cannot be resolved by the professional prac- tice committee; salary increases of 7.6 to 25 percent over the life of the contract; and better retirement benefits—among a host of other improvements. Maine Nurses at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in May secured a new contract that contin- ues to add safe staffing language and improves economics and working condi- tions for RNs. RNs will receive 7 percent raises over the three years of the contract in addition to their step increases for years of service; critical protections against floating for obstetrics nurses; protections for precep- tors; and many other enhancements. Most significantly, the RNs won an enforcement mechanism for the medical-surgical unit that forces the hospital to hire additional staff if a number of shifts go unfilled. Texas In June, nurses at Cypress Fairbanks Medical Center in Houston reached a new three-year contract that made major equity adjustments to match what Tenet nurses in California earn. Full-time and part-time nurses will receive increases from 8.74 to more than 30 percent for some. RNs also won additional language improvements to grievance proce- dure, time at new hire orientation, discipline, and the absentee policy. This contract sets a good standard for other Tenet agreements to be negotiated in Florida and elsewhere in Texas this year. —Staff report From top left clockwise across all pages: CHEU members at Chil- dren's Hospital Oakland celebrate new contract; RNs in Marin had struck for a fair deal; RNs at Alvarado Hospital in San Diego win new pact; Cypress Fairbanks RNs in Houston establish solid con- tract standards for the state; Maine nurses ratify new agreement.