Dive Brief:

• About 18,000 registered nurses at the University of California’s medical centers, clinics and student health centers across the state voted to ratify a new three-year contract Saturday, according to the California Nurses Association, which represents the nurses.
• The new contract includes measures to enhance safety and retention and recruitment efforts for nurses across the system, according to a release from the union.
• The agreement “reflects UC’s goal of forging more collegial labor-management relations, and UC hopes the success with CNA will serve as a model for negotiations with other unions,” the system said in a statement.

Dive Insight:

The system and nurses were able to reach a deal before the end of their prior contract, which was slated to expire this fall.

The new agreement covers nurses working at UC San Diego, UC San Francisco, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Riverside until October 2025.

Key stipulations nurses sought and won in the new contracts include minimum across-the-board raises of 16% over the term of the contract, and additional increases for nurses at certain facilities to reduce regional wage disparities across the system, according to the union.

One-time bonuses of $3,000 will be given to career nurses, while per diem nurses working part-time or more will receive $2,000 and those working less than part time will receive $1,000, according to a statement from the hospital.

The deal also entails the creation of two joint labor-management committees: one on health, safety and emerging infectious diseases, and the other on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Other wins include eight weeks of fully paid maternity leave.

“We believe this agreement recognizes the dedication, professionalism and quality of our nursing staff, and the extraordinary challenges they have faced for more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Letitia Silas, UC’s executive director of labor relations, said in a statement.

“This agreement also shows that successful contract negotiations can be collaborative and mutually respectful, and we thank CNA for its partnership,” Silas added.