“This contract win is a win for our patients and our community too."

Registered nurses voted overwhelmingly to approve a new contract this week covering nearly 1,000 nurses at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, Ca., announced the California Nurses Association.

“The nurses are the heart of patient care at AVH. Whether you're an ICU nurse, an Emergency Room nurse, or a Labor and Delivery nurse, your commitment is always to your patients. It's an even more special relationship between the AVH nurses and our patients, because we are also all members of this tight-knit community,” says Kathleen Stalter, RN. “This improved contract is going to support improved nursing practice and quality of care. This victory is for everyone.”

“We believe that this contract win is a win for our patients and our community too. AVH is going to be better able to recruit and retain talented nurses, who in turn, will have the resources to take care of the AV community. Today, we celebrate together,” said Maria Altamirano, RN.

The new contract includes a ten percent wage increase over the three-year term of the agreement, and preserves contract language guaranteeing critical workplace benefits and nursing practice protections. These are all factors that will enhance the hospital's ability to retain and recruit staff and address the hospital's chronic short-staffing, say nurses.

“The new contract is fair and equitable and accomplishes three things: first, it signals to new nurses that they can come to AVH and be supported; second, it shows respect to our hard-working career nurses, who have deeply invested themselves into the hospital and community. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it promotes and supports the best quality care for our patients,” said Dani Demyen, RN.

“The settlement of this contract is the culmination of months of hard work," said John De La Cerda, RN. "Growing nurse solidarity, both within the hospital and community, paved the way to this point. This chapter is closing, but we will continue to stand up for our patients and community."