In membership meetings held last week, Contra Costa County nurses voted overwhelmingly—by 95 percent—to ratify a new contract, the California Nurses Association announced today.
 
“Our nurses have shown, with this vote, that what we fought for at the bargaining table was finally achieved,” says Farina Khan, Emergency Department RN. “We are excited to move forward with an agreement that will uphold top-quality patient care and retain the most experienced nurses for our community.”
 
The new agreement—which came after 15 months of bargaining and a recent two-day strike—features protections including:
 
Retention of experienced nurses: The major concern for nurses during negotiations was being able to retain experienced nurses to care for County patients. In the last year alone, over 100 nurses left the County for jobs at other hospitals in the region, in part due to significant wage disparities.
 
To that end, the tentative agreement features a 16% wage increase that begins to close the pay gap with nearby, private-sector hospitals.  It also features an industry-standard wage scale that nurses believe will aid in recruitment and retention.
 
“The County has been a training ground for private hospitals; we have seen so many nurses leave after a few years to go somewhere with better working conditions. This not only hurts patient care but also the public, who end up footing the bill,” says Rosalind Walker, Surgical Unit RN. “This agreement puts an end to that trajectory, and that is a huge victory for our patients.”
 
Protected healthcare and retirement: The agreement includes no reductions in healthcare and retirement benefits —which is important, nurses say, because these, in conjunction with the economic improvements, help retain experienced nurses.

“When we spend years of our lives providing care for others, it’s nice for nurses to know that we are cared for in turn—that we have access to high-quality healthcare for our families, and that we will be able to have a secure retirement someday,” says Walker.  

No mandatory overtime: Nurses also laud the continued inclusion of a ban on mandatory overtime in the contract. The ban on mandatory overtime ensures that nurses are not forced to work without sufficient rest —a major benefit to patient care, as studies have shown that lack of proper rest can lead to errors.

“We didn’t back down, and there is such a feeling of empowerment among our nurses, knowing the standing up for out patients really led to meaningful change,” says Khan. “Our goal was to strengthen care for Contra Costa County patients—who are often some of the most vulnerable members of our community. This contract will ensure they get the care that they deserve.”
 
Nurses say they expect the Board of Supervisors to approve the agreement at a meeting on November 17. If approved, the contract will run through December 31, 2017.