Registered nurses at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a first union contract with hospital management, culminating a yearlong campaign persuading the University of Southern California to invest in patient care improvements at the hospital. The agreement includes contract protections for nurses to advocate for improved patient care, as well as wage and benefit improvements to enhance recruitment and retention at the hospital.

More than 150 registered nurses, their families and supporters are expected to attend a march and candlelight vigil Thursday to protest worsening patient care conditions at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital and a proposal by management to reduce nurse staffing levels.

A hearing on legislation to hold California non-profit hospitals accountable on how much charity care and community benefit services they provide in return for their tax-exempt status has been postponed a week – to Wednesday, April 29.

With hospital administrators continuing to toe a hard line in contract talks Monday, registered nurses at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia called for a one-day strike Friday, May 1, joining more than 6,400 registered nurses – including over 2,300 in Los Angeles County – who have also announced plans to be on strike that week.

California state senators will get their first look Wednesday at this year’s version of legislation that would finally require non-profit hospital giants to live up to their obligation on provision of charity care and community benefit programs in return for the windfall in taxpayer funded revenues they receive in return for their tax exempt status.

Registered Nurses at Olympia Medical Center in Los Angeles will gather Monday, April 20 for a candlelight vigil, speaking out against a management demand for unilateral changes in work schedules—in violation of their present contract—that they say could prompt many RNs to leave, depriving patients of access to experienced RNs.

More than 6,400 registered nurses will hold either a one or two-day strike April 30 and May 1 at eight California hospitals, as well as at a major Chicago hospital. RNs are calling on hospitals to stop endangering patients by implementing safe staffing levels and taking steps to retain experienced RNs. They are also demanding policies that give RNs a stronger voice in patient care delivery.