Good Samaritan And San Jose Regional Medical Center Registered Nurses Vote Overwhelmingly To Approve New Contract, California

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 30 Jul 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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The 1,450 registered nurses of Good Samaritan Hospital and San Jose Regional Medical Center voted overwhelming last night to ratify their new contract with the facility-and in so doing set new standards for patient safety at HCA, the nation's largest hospital chain, announces the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee today.

"These new contracts show that even HCA-the world's largest hospital chain and one with a reputation for cutting corners on patient care-can be held to strict patient safety standards when RNs speak and bargain collectively," said Malinda Markowitz, RN co-President of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee. "RNs at HCA facilities around the country are working to organize their hospitals, because they know that holding this chain to safety standards will save lives, and allow nurses to truly practice their profession."

Among key gains were:

- Strengthened protections for compliance with safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios law in California. These include a guarantee that patients will be cared for when their RN takes a meal or rest break, an increase in unit staffing to meet the ratios at all times, and new procedures to resolve disputes over future staffing issues.

- Improved restrictions on the "floating" of nurses outside their unit

- Protection of the ability of RNs to do informational leafleting on hospital grounds

- A guarantee of every other weekend off

- A guarantee of union protections-meaning the employer will not invoke the "Kentucky River" decision to exclude nurses from the bargaining unit

- Retirement improvements, specifically an increase in the coverage of Medicare Part D and Medicare Supplement reimbursements after age 65

The contract runs through 2012, and averages a 4.25 percent annual increase in wages to allow competitive recruitment and retention of nurses.

Source
California Nurses Association

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