The California Nurses Association is pleased to announce that the tentative agreement reached between the union’s RN bargaining team and Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital has been overwhelmingly approved by the registered nurses in voting ending April 19.
 
Henry Mayo RNs say the new three-year collective bargaining agreement covering 650 nurses will strengthen their ability to protect patients and improve the hospital’s recruitment and retention of experienced RNs.  
 
“The new agreement is a testament to what nurses united can achieve with strong advocacy and when we raise our collective voice,” said Alyssa Ernstmeyer, an intensive care unit RN. “I am so proud of my colleagues who made a stand for what is right for our patients and our profession.”

“The agreement is the result of great mobilization, with our nurses coming together in solidarity to win an agreement for all our nurses,” said Susan Salkeld, an RN and case manager. “Our young nurses, in particular, fought to ensure that their more senior colleagues received gains that were fair and equitable.”

Some highlights of the agreement include:

• Staffing language around legally mandated meal and rest breaks for RNs
• Greater RN access to union representatives in the facility
• Improved protection against unjust discipline for new nurses
• Language protecting RNs against workplace violence
• Pay increases starting at 9 percent up to a maximum of 20 percent over the three-year term of the contract, which will help tremendously with nurse recruitment and retention   

Under the agreement, both management and RNs will establish an ad-hoc committee to work together to ensure all nurses receive their legally mandated meals and breaks.
 
“The new agreement states clearly that the staffing of hospital patients care units must be based on census, acuity, and staffing ratios and in a manner to ensure nurses are relieved for their meal and rest periods,” said Nerissa Black, an RN who works in telemetry. She noted that the agreement guarantees no nurse will be retaliated against for exercising their right to these needed breaks.
          
“Our nurses are glad we reached an agreement, but were prepared to strike for their colleagues and patients,” said Charles Lucero, an RN in the medical-surgical unit. “Thankfully, management removed the takeaways and negotiated in good faith.”