RNs say union protections will lead to improved patient care

Registered nurses at Sutter Health California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) Davies in San Francisco, Calif., voted overwhelmingly to join California Nurses Association (CNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation’s largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses. The election represents a significant milestone for San Francisco as well – Sutter CPMC Davies was the city’s last remaining nonunion hospital for RNs.

Nurses at the facility say they voted to join the union to have a say in patient care, particularly staffing, RN floating practices, and recruitment and retention of experienced nurses. In their first contract, nurses intend to focus on improving staffing and other patient care-related issues that drove their union campaign.

“Joining CNA means that we will finally have a voice in patient care to advocate for our patients and give them the quality care they deserve,” said Mariano Puglia, RN in the medical-surgical unit. “Having a union means safer patient care for our patients and community.”

On Dec. 18, the nurses voted 74 percent in favor of joining CNA, in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board. CNA will represent 350 nurses at the facility and nearly 9,000 nurses across 19 Sutter facilities across Northern California. 

“This is a long time coming. My coworkers and I are overjoyed and proud to join our Sutter CPMC nurse colleagues in California Nurses Association,” said Rizza Poblete, an RN in the transitional ICU and ICU units who has worked 14 years at Davies. “We are looking forward to raising the bar on patient care and holding management accountable for safer working conditions and standards to make sure we keep our dedicated nurses and can recruit new ones.”

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.