Nurses demand next contract must improve safe staffing and workplace violence prevention

Registered nurses at John Muir Health (JMH), in Concord, Calif., will hold an informational picket on Tuesday, March 26, to highlight their serious patient safety concerns, including staffing challenges and workplace violence issues, announced California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) today. Nurses say safe staffing and workplace violence prevention planning are essential to the safety of patients and staff.

“After 24 years at the bedside, my colleagues and I have seen how the needs of patients have changed,” said Cindi Marsh, RN in a medical-surgical intensive care unit. “We want to provide focused care to patients and their families during any health crisis, and this only happens when we work in an environment that prioritizes safety.”

Who: RNs at John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center
What: Informational Picket for Patient Safety
When: Tuesday, March 26, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Where: John Muir Health, Concord Medical Center, 2540 East St., Concord, Calif., 94520

RNs demand that JMH improve health and safety measures (including pandemic readiness) and provide adequate relief staffing so that nurses can safely take meal and rest breaks without fearing that their patients are left unmonitored. Nurses are also asking for a direct voice in preventing workplace violence to guarantee their plan recommendations are implemented to stop violence before it starts. These improvements are necessary so that nurses can provide the highest level of quality patient care, instead of suffering moral distress and injury that prompts nurses to leave JMH for other work opportunities.

“A balance of skills and experience is crucial on every unit. When nurses leave, we feel it deeply,” said Katelyn Mobeen, RN in the cardiovascular intensive care unit. “John Muir has the ability to meet the needs of nurses. It’s time for action on their part to step it up.”

Nurses aim to resolve these issues by winning improved working conditions and standards as part of their new contract with JMH, which they began negotiations on in late August 2023. They say a strong contract is the best way to improve safety at their facility and to recruit and retain nurses.

During the pandemic year 2021, JMH made a net income of $239 million, compared to $176 million in 2020, according to financial statements available on request. The CEO of JMH was paid $2.5 million in total compensation in 2020. Yet, while JMH is making significant profits, nurses report that management remains focused on cutting operational costs while minimizing the needs of bedside nurses and the patients they care for.

CNA/NNU represents more than 800 registered nurses at John Muir Health, Concord 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.