Significant Economic Gains, Key First Pact for Tracy RNs

Registered nurses have settled long contract disputes with tentative contract agreements at three Northern California Sutter Health hospitals in Auburn, Roseville, and Tracy, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United announced today that included major economic improvements for the nurses, withdrawal of concession demands, and the first ever contract for Sutter Tracy RNs.

The pacts cover 1,000 RNs at Sutter Roseville, 240 RNs at Sutter Auburn Faith and some 200 RNs at Sutter Tracy, who are among 7,000 RNs represented by CNA at Sutter hospitals throughout Northern and Central California. Nurses will hold membership meetings Monday and Tuesday next week to vote on the accords.

“We’re so proud of our nurses at Sutter hospitals who have stood up, and worked for years to win stellar contracts and protections for their patients, their colleagues, and their families,” said CNA co-president Malinda Markowitz, RN.

Key to the agreements were important economic gains for Sutter RNs who have fallen behind Northern California standards for CNA-represented RNs – 16 percent or more over four years at Roseville and Auburn Faith and up to 21 percent at Tracy.

Additionally significant was Sutter’s decision to agree on a first contract at Sutter Tracy with multiple patient care and economic improvements that nurses say will put an end to what was a 45 percent turnover of RNs over the past few years at the hospital.

Among the new terms, Sutter Tracy RNs won improved staffing provisions, including assurance that nurses can take meal and rest breaks without leaving patients without staffing coverage. The Tracy pact also puts an end to the subjective “merit” system for determining pay increases, as well as critical provisions to establish a committee of nurses, elected by their peers, to meet with management to address patient care concerns, and provisions to assure union protection from unfair discipline.

At Sutter Roseville, nurse negotiators and hospital officials completed a tentative agreement Wednesday. At Sutter Auburn Faith and Tracy agreements were reached Tuesday. 

With other CNA-Sutter contracts still open, nurses say they hope these three agreements will encourage momentum for ongoing talks at the other Sutter hospitals.

For Sutter Tracy RNs, who voted to join CNA nearly four years ago, it will be their first ever collective bargaining contract, finally achieved after three and a half years of talks and three short-term strikes.  The Tracy nurses voted to join CNA in March 2012.   

Roseville and Auburn RNs have been without a contract since June of 2014.   

Sutter Roseville RN Andrea Seils recalled a series of “concerted actions” overwhelmingly joined by Roseville nurses that included a huge rally just last month. “Our unified voices resonated at the bargaining table a we won a fair contract for improved wages, working conditions and standards of care.”

“Through our contract struggle we have stood up for what is right for the health of our community,” said Sutter Tracy RN Dotty Nygard.  “Because of the gains we made in our contract we will be able to attract nurses back into our hospital.  I’ve lived in Tracy for more than 20 years and I am so happy for all of the Sutter Tracy nurses and the community we serve.”

“Throughout this bargaining process, the nurses stood together to improve patient care and add to our standards, so that we could retain experienced nurses here at Auburn Faith,” Sutter Auburn Faith RN Sandy Ralston said. “With this agreement, we nurses accomplish our goals, including building our solidarity.”

Among other gains were improved dental and vision coverage, employer-paid long term disability coverage, and increased pay for nurses who work per diem (in lieu of health benefits) at Roseville and Auburn Faith.

Meanwhile talks are just beginning, or continuing for Sutter CNA represented RNs at three Alta Bates Summit Medical Center facilities in Berkeley and Oakland, three California Pacific Medical Center hospitals in San Francisco (St. Luke’s, California, and Pacific), Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, Mills Peninsula Health Services facilities in Burlingame and San Mateo, Novato Community Hospital, Sutter Delta in Antioch, Sutter Lakeside, Sutter Roseville, Sutter Santa Cruz (a visiting nurses home health service), Sutter Santa Rosa, and Sutter Solano in Vallejo.