The Registered Nurses at St. Rose Hospital in Hayward conducted a candlelight vigil today to protest management's stalling in negotiations for a first contract and refusing to address issues that are fundamental to quality patient care. In December 2012, after several years of mismanagement at St. Rose, the RNs voted to affiliate with the California Nurses Association. Since that time, RNs have actively sought to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement that preserves some of their existing standards, and also improves them so that RNs can provide the best patient care. The nurses and their bargaining team have focused on standards that also address the retention and recruitment of experienced RNs.