Registered nurses at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital (SVMH) have reached a tentative contract agreement with hospital officials, protecting the vital clinical role of the charge nurse, a key issue in the contract fight that will strengthen quality of care at the hospital, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United announced today.

Nurses, parents and other San Luis Obispo county residents will gather downtown Thursday evening before the weekly SLO Farmers’ Market to protest Tuesday’s oil spill at Refugio State Beach, 50 miles south of SLO. In light of this environmental catastrophe, they will also bring renewed emphasis to their pre-existing call for county officials to oppose the Phillips 66 Oil Train Project.

Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of nurses, students, religious and civil rights groups, environmentalists, labor and housing advocates today enthusiastically welcomed plans by Sen. Bernie Sanders to introduce two new Senate bills Tuesday that would impose a small fee on Wall Street speculation to pay for college education for all and other critical community needs.

Nurses voted to authorize a strike in December 2014 and since that time have participated in further bargaining, mediation, a "cooling off" period, and agreed upon the appointment of a neutral third party who released a fact-finding report last month.

The city of San Luis Obispo last month became the first in the county to declare its opposition to the Phillips 66 project. Cities and schools boards in blast zone communities north and south of the county have also sent in letters opposing Phillip 66’s oil train project.

Former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower, also well known as a national radio commentator, columnist, and prolific author, will join with El Paso labor, community, and faith based organizations in two events Thursday, May 14 to highlight opposition to a controversial trade pact.