Registered nurses at City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California, voted overwhelmingly Friday, June 7 in favor of ratifying a new four-year contract, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).

“This is a historic win for City of Hope nurses,” said Jasmine Briones, an RN in the outpatient surgery center. “The contract prioritizes safe staffing, which includes a new resource nurse program that will increase the number of nurses on the units in addition to giving our nurses the ability to take their meal breaks and rest periods.”

Highlights of the contract include:

• Safe staffing language, including the new resource nurse program
• A union shop where all nurses are members, building solidarity among RN staff 
• A 25 percent across-the-board wage increase over the four years of the contract

The new pact covers the period May 1, 2024, to April 30, 2028.

“This contract will help make our union stronger,” said Leslie Heald, an RN in the medical-surgical unit. “Now that we have a union shop, it better prepares us for the next contract.”  

CNA represents nearly 1,600 nurses at City of Hope Medical Center.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and nearly 225,000 RNs nationwide.