National Nurses United

12 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 AY | J U N E 2 0 1 6 NEWS BRIEFS WRAP-UP REPORT California AHMC registered nurses and healthcare work- ers at two hospitals owned by AHMC Healthcare voted in September to approve new contracts that will improve patient care. The new pact at Whittier Hospital Medical Center (WHMC) covers 300 registered nurses affiliated with California Nurses Association (CNA). The new contract at San Gabriel Valley Medical Center (SGVMC) covers 400 RNs affiliated with CNA and 450 healthcare workers affiliated with CHEU, the Caregivers and Healthcare Employees Union. CHEU, an affiliate of CNA/NNOC, represents a broad range of caregivers and hospital support staff, such as laboratory technicians, respiratory therapists, aides, and food service workers. Key elements of the pacts include: safe staffing improve- ments, including meals and breaks provi- sions; economic gains with 14 to 26 percent wage increases at SGVMC and 17 to 25 percent increases at WHMC over the four- year agreement; new workplace violence protections; an Infectious Disease Task Force; and safe patient handling and lift policy language. JOHN MUIR registered nurses at John Muir Medical Center (JMMC) in Concord have voted over- whelmingly to approve a new three-year contract covering 700 nurses that features protected healthcare coverage during the contract term, across-the-board wage increases of 12 percent over three years, and improved opportunities for new grad RNs. KPC in september, RNs at three KPC Health- care hospitals in Orange County—Anaheim Global Medical Center, South Coast Global Medical Center, and Chapman Global Medical Center—voted to approve a new three-year contract covering a total of about 450 nurses. Contract highlights include: an improved staffing plan and safe staffing at all times language, including during meal and rest periods; an average wage increase of 13 percent over the contract term; better protections against workplace violence; and a safe floating structure. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HOSPITAL IN CULVER CITY rns at southern california Hospital in Culver City (SCHCC) voted overwhelmingly in August to ratify a new contract covering 300 nurses that secures important protections for patients and nurses. Contract highlights include language that: establishes meal and break coverage for safe patient care; ensures the hospital adheres to safe patient handling and lift policies under California law; creates an infectious disease taskforce; better workplace violence protections; helps recruit and retain nurses by providing pay increases ranging from 10 to 19.5 percent over the next 30 months. Missouri registered nurses at SSM-Saint Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. voted overwhelmingly in September to approve a new contract covering 660 RNs that they agree will help them provide quality patient care. This is the first pact nurses have negotiated with SSM- Saint Louis University's new owner, SSM Health, a Catholic chain that operates in Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Missouri. Key features in the contract include: staffing improvements to promote patient safety, such as charge nurses not taking patient assign- ments; wage increases that average 12 percent and range up to 26 percent to promote reten- tion of experienced RNs and recruitment of new nurses; and critical health and safety train- ing in safe patient handling, infection preven- tion, and violence deescalation and prevention. National registered nurses voted overwhelmingly in late September to ratify new collective bargaining agreements covering nearly 8,000 RNs at 10 HCA-affiliated hospitals in Florida, four in Texas, and one each in Missouri, Kansas, and Nevada. HCA is the largest for- profit hospital chain in the United States. The agreements make substantial strides for working conditions for RNs, patient care standards, and the quality of care at the 17 facilities, as well as noteworthy economic gains. "We've won provisions that will improve recruitment and retention and that really supports our patients receiving the best possi- ble care, so we are very happy with the outcome," said Marissa Lee, an RN in labor and delivery at Osceola Regional Medical Center in Kissimmee, Fla. and a member of the CNA/NNOC board of directors. Highlights of the agree- ments include: increased enforcement of staffing grids; a pilot program to create break relief RNs; improved health and safety language to strengthen protection for nurses and patients from workplace violence, the spread of infectious diseases, as well as patient handling procedures to reduce the risk of nurse injuries and patient falls; and improved union and workplace rights for nurses. All nurses won significant economic improvements that vary by location, with some expecting up to 15 percent over the three-year contract and additional increases at some facilities based on years of experience as an RN. In the southern states, the increases will help RNs' wages move closer to the national average. For the Texas nurses, a new wage system will provide increased equity and more transparency, a major goal for the RNs. Veterans Affairs nnu-va rns, speaking out on behalf of 11,000 RNs at 23 VA facilities in 12 states, picketed in the nation's capital on Aug. 25 to urge the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to work with them to ensure quality care at the VA by moving forward with stalled nego- tiations. Nurses are voicing concern about patient care issues, including chronic short staffing and the recruitment and retention of experienced nurses. Over the past 20 months, RNs have submitted 1,500 reports documenting understaffing and other patient care issues to VA management. Meanwhile, thousands of positions at VA facilities— sometimes as many as 15,000 systemwide— remain unfilled due to hiring delays and problems with recruitment and retention. Bargaining has stalled because the VA refuses to allow representation and is demanding other restrictions on the bargaining process. "The duty of registered nurses within the VA healthcare system is to provide high quality care and to advocate for the men and women who put their lives and health at risk defend- ing our nation," said Irma Westmoreland, RN and chair, NNU-VA. —Staff report Veterans Affairs nurses picket to demand better staffing, quality care

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