Nurses and other caregivers at Palomar Health have tentatively agreed to a new four-year contract that covers more than 3,000 employees at three North County hospitals. The new labor agreement calls for raises of up to 14.75 percent over four years. After months of negotiations, nurses convinced management to drop cuts in retirement benefits.

Last Saturday, August 3, a broad coalition of labor, indigenous, health and environmental justice groups marched to the Chevron refinery in Richmond, California, marking the one-year anniversary of the explosion and fire that sent smoke billowing into the air and 15,000 area residents to the hospital with respiratory problems. Nineteen refinery workers were lucky to escape the incident alive.

See a collection of links to news stories about nurses in other nations, and how they are advocating for their patients.

The Massachusetts Nurses Association has filed a ballot initiative that would require one nurse for every four patients in medical or surgical units, one nurse for up to three patients in emergency departments and one nurse for every two patients in critical care units.

Expanding the nation’s Medicare program to cover people of all ages would save the government billions of dollars, according to a new study released Wednesday.

The nurses union at Ventura County’s public hospitals presented a letter of no confidence in management to the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The nurses are in contract talks with county management. Eight of them spoke at Tuesday’s board meeting, complaining of insufficient staffing, low pay and indifferent management. An additional 40 or so people, including nurses and their families, sat in the audience in support.