National Nurses United

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 M A R C H | A P R I L 2 0 1 6 NEWS BRIEFS R egistered nurses all over the country celebrated ratifications of solid contracts this spring and summer. Nurses were not only able to overcome employers' demands for take- aways and concessions, but largely successful in negotiating all manner of improvements to staffing language to protect the safety of their patients, better salary and benefits to take care of themselves and their families, and needed structural changes to working condi- tions, such as eliminating manual lifting and preventing workplace violence. Many of them had to threaten strike action to make progress in their negotiations. Congratulations to our nurses for their hard-won contract wins. California UCSF BENIOFF CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OAKLAND California Nurses Association (CNA) RN members won a new contract in December 2015 that features impressive wage advances of up to 20 percent for a majority of the nurses, improvements to paid education provisions, workplace violence language, safe lifting provisions, and protections against infectious diseases. In May, radiology technicians organized through Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union, which is affiliated with CNA, likewise finalized a significant contract that provides 16.5 to 30 percent raises over three years, with some receiving more than 12 percent increases in just the first year. Techs also successfully fought back management's demand that they work every other weekend. LONG BEACH MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER RNs at this large facility in Los Angeles' South Bay ratified a new contract in May that contains 8 to 26 percent wage increases over three years; improved scheduling language; safe patient handling provisions; and retirement protections for current RNs, among other gains. They were able to fight off some outrageous demands by the employer, such as eliminating the nurses' union shop, cuts to retirement, and manda- tory arbitration. MARIN GENERAL HOSPITAL After 18 months of very tough negotiations, a November strike, and a vote to strike again, nurses at Marin General Hospital in May reached a new agreement that, in addition to fighting off more than 50 takeaways from the employer, made significant achievements. The RNs won raises of up to 16 percent over the three years of the contract, dedicated break relief nurses to make sure RNs can take needed rest breaks without compromis- ing patient safety, guaranteed lift teams to prevent injury to RNs and patients, and managed to hold the line on health benefits. PRIME HEALTHCARE Registered nurses in April approved new contracts covering 1,500 members who work at hospitals in Southern California and Nevada operated by Prime Healthcare. These include Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, Alvarado Hospital in San Diego, and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev. Health and safety provisions to protect nurses and patients were a centerpiece of the new agreements. These include language to strengthen protocols for prevention of workplace violence incidents, procedures to reduce unsafe patient handling and lifting, and measures to reduce patient and worker exposure to infectious diseases, such as Ebola or other epidemics. In Reno, RNs were also successful in protecting minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios in the language of the contract. Nearly all the RNs will receive raises of 9 percent or more over the three years of the pacts, with some RNs receiving hikes of more than 20 percent over the term of the contract depending on years of service. "I'm inspired by the way nurses came together, both long-term nurses and brand- new graduates, to advocate for a contract that rewards those who've stayed while laying the foundation for a new generation to serve this community," said Jess Farnsworth, an ER nurse at Alvarado Hospital. Spring Renewal RNs across the country won hard-fought contracts this year

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