National Nurses United

8 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 2 0 1 8 News BRiefs CALIFORNIA R egistered nurses and nurse practitioners who work at 21 Kaiser Permanente medical centers and dozens of medical clinics and other settings in Northern and Central Cali- fornia have won tentative agreement with the giant health system on a new five-year collective bargaining contract that protects existing standards while adding new patient care protections for Kaiser enrollees. The proposed pact, secured March 15, will now go before the 19,000 RNs and NPs for ratification in a series of membership meetings beginning March 26 and running through mid-April. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United repre- sents the 19,000 nurses. "We successfully bargained the addition of RN positions to oversee Kaiser's transi- tion to a new patient classification system, ensuring patients are provided safe care and treatment with the new change," said CNA Copresident Zenei Cortez, RN, chair of the Kaiser RN and NP bargaining team. "Protecting the economic security of our future RNs is essential to defending the health of everyone who will be a patient today and tomorrow," CNA Executive Direc- tor Bonnie Castillo, RN said. "This agree- ment gives us a strong foundation for health security for Kaiser nurses and patients for the next five years in a turbulent time of healthcare in our state and nation." Key contract provisions include: staffing enhancements—Won 150 RN full- time equivalents to facilitate the shift of Kaiser's long-used computer system, GRASP, to a new more complicated system, EPIC. 106 positions shall be posted within 90 days of contract ratification. The patient classification system is used to assess the severity of illness for each indi- vidual patient and the appropriate level of nursing care, beyond the mandated mini- mum RN staffing, as well as recommended treatment. "The additional RN staffing to safeguard the transition was a very high priority for our bargaining team and part of our overall effort to promote increased safe- ty for our patients," Kaiser Roseville RN Dolores Trujillo said. No Benefit Takeaways Or Reductions—Com - plete protection of the nurses' pensions and medical benefits for current and retired RNs and NPs. Improvements to dental and education benefits. Protection Of One wage scale for All RNs/NPs—Kaiser agreed to withdraw a four-tier proposal for major wage reductions for new RN and NP hires in the Sacra- mento region and California's Central Valley. The Kaiser RNs and NPs viewed this major concession demand as especial- ly onerous. Nurses noted that patients and employers pay the same premiums in Sacramento and Fresno as they do in the Bay Area. "There was never a doubt that we would remain united against a wage proposal that would promote workplace divisions between current nurses and new RN graduates, and would have under- mined future nurse recruitment efforts at a time when our RN workforce is aging," said Kaiser RN and CNA Copresident Deborah Burger. wage increases for All Kaiser RNs And NPs—The pact provides for an across-the- board 12 percent wage increase and 3 percent lump sum over five years. inclusion Of The Patient Care Coordinator RNs—Addition of 600 RN patient care coordinators (PCCs) into the contract with other Kaiser RNs and NPs. PCCs work as discharge planners and case managers who coordinate care planning after patients are discharged from the hospital to home or outpatient settings, as well as patient care resource management and other review duties. Previously not unionized, PCCs voted in January 2017 to join their CNA colleagues but Kaiser, despite verification of their rights by the National Labor Relations Board, has refused to recognize their democratic vote and agree to include them in systemwide CNA bargaining—until now. "Securing bargaining rights for our PCC sisters and brothers, including recog- nition of their democratic right to act collectively with other Kaiser nurses, was an important part of these negotiations. We are very happy that Kaiser has finally agreed to honor their rights," said Diane McClure, a Kaiser South Sacramento RN. —Staff report Kaiser RNs and NPs reach new master tentative agreement Nurses defeated major takeaways

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