Registered nurses at John Muir Medical Center (JMMC) in Concord have voted overwhelmingly to approve a new three-year contract that features protected healthcare coverage, significant economic gains, and improved opportunities for new grad RNs, California Nurses Association (CNA) announced today.

“With the solidarity of our fellow nurses, we were able to fight back all of management’s proposed healthcare takeaways—including a provision that would have penalized nurses who were the major wage earners in their families,” said Candace Francisco, RN, a nurse at the hospital for eight years. “This contract is a huge victory for us.”

Key features of the new agreement include:

• No healthcare cuts for the term of the agreement. With many workers across the country facing employer demands for cuts in healthcare coverage, JMMC RNs were able to fight off significant healthcare takeaways that would have resulted in large premium increases.
• Economic gains including an across-the-board pay increase of 12% over the three-year contract, helping with recruitment and retention of experienced RNs for the community.
• Protections and improved opportunities for new grad RNs. The new contract eliminates unpaid internships and covers new grad RNs as full-fledged employees, allowing them access to the training that will build a strong foundation for their future as skilled nurses.

“The John Muir Medical Center Concord nurses were very happy to come to terms with management on the new contract,” said LaTasha Barnes, RN, a JMMC nurse for seven years.  “Unity among nurses is critical, so that we can work together and ensure necessary standards and patient care safeguards remain a top priority.”

The new agreement will run through August 31, 2019. CNA represents over 700 RNs at JMMC and nearly 100,000 RNs throughout California.