Federal labor board certifies CNA to represent the nurses

Today the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) certified the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) to be the collective bargaining representative for registered nurses at Doctors Hospital of Manteca.

Certification by the NLRB, which oversees labor relations with private employers, confirms the secret ballot election by the Doctors’ RNs who voted by 94 percent on Sept. 30 to join CNA/NNU.

In that mail-in ballot election, the registered nurses voted by 121 to 8 to become the newest members of California’s largest RN union. CNA will represent 200 RNs at Doctors Hospital.

“The nurses at Doctors are excited to join CNA so we can all work together towards our common goal of improving patient care, addressing nursing needs, and ensuring a strong future for our hospital through a union contract,” said Doctors’ RN Mike Agardy after the vote.

Doctors Hospital is part of the Tenet Healthcare system, one of the largest for-profit hospital chains in the United States. Overall, NNU represents 5,500 Tenet RNs at 14 Tenet hospitals in California, Arizona, and Texas.

“We are thrilled to join with our Tenet RN sisters, brothers, and colleagues at other facilities who have achieved important gains and continue to work to set new standards for all Tenet RNs," said Doctors Hospital RN Kamal Kaur.

Doctors’ RNs will next survey their colleagues for key issues to discuss in negotiations with hospital management and elect a nurse negotiating team.

NNU, of which CNA is the largest affiliate, represents more than 175,000 RNs from California to Maine.