Overview:
Registered nurses who staged a 24-hour strike at San Joaquin County General Hospital in January say they won key concessions.
Registered nurses who staged a 24-hour strike at San Joaquin County General Hospital just ratified a new three-year contract that ends the labor dispute.
The California Nurses Association/National Nurses Union said the agreement with San Joaquin County’s health system averts a planned three-day strike by its more than 1,000 members that would have started last Sunday.
The union said nurses voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal. Negotiations that led to new contract began a year ago.
The new contract taking effect in April includes a wage increase and provisions that it says will both improve patient and health care worker safety. For instance, it requires the county to maintain a stockpile of personal protective equipment — masks, gowns, gloves and alike.
Nurses will be able to connect with Workplace Violence Committee if needed. At General Hospital in French Camp, nurses will now be represented on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, the union said.
“With this contract, San Joaquin County can be a competitive health care employer – meaning it can recruit and retain experienced nurses and avoid staffing crises,” said Kelly Mertz, a registered nurse in a statement. “Our collective union power, our solidarity, and our commitment to each other and to patient safety brought this monumental contract to reality.”
A county spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. When nurses staged their one-day walkout on Jan. 17, the county was offering an increase to base pay and an overall package totaling $54.4 million.
The contract covers not only those nurses, but those working at other county facilities like public health facilities and the San Joaquin County jail.