Yesterday registered nurses voted to approve their first ever collective bargaining agreement at Community Hospital Long Beach. At a time when many labor contracts are premised on substantial cuts in workplace and living standards for nurses and other workers, the RNs successfully negotiated an agreement that represents improvements in their existing standards.

Registered nurses from Daughters of Charity hospitals are mobilizing en masse to public hearings next week, in their continued fight to save their hospitals and preserve essential patient care services in their communities, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) who represents 1,800 nurses at four of the hospitals announced today.

The RNs' strike, and the hospital's subsequent lockout, were preceded by management's refusal to bargain in good faith and continued actions to undermine discussion. In November, hospital executives acted unilaterally, and illegally, in implementing their most recent position and declared an impasse, despite the fact that the registered nurses were ready and willing to continue negotiations with hospital executives to protect quality patient care and safe working conditions.

Last week the National Labor Relations Board ordered Bluefield Regional Medical Center (BRMC) in Bluefield, W. Va and Greenbrier Valley Medical Center (GVMC) in Ronceverte, W.Va. to end their lawless behavior in refusing to bargain with its registered nurses.

Registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center (MWHC), part of the Medstar Health hospital chain,will hold a one-day strike commencing Monday, Dec. 22 at 7 a.m. and ending Tuesday, Dec. 23. at 6:59 a.m.

RNs are viewed as having "very high" or "high" ethical and honesty standards by 80 percent of the public, a full 15 points higher than any other profession in the Gallup Poll. Nurses have topped the list each year since they were first included in 1999, with the exception of 2001 when firefighters were included in response to their work during and after the 9/11 attacks.