Midway RNs Vote by 93% to Join CNA

pickledpepperRN · Feb 4, 2004

http://www.calnurse.org/cna/press/2404.html

Los Angeles election is first under CNA-Tenet agreement

Vote seen as especially significant with pending hospital sale

Registered Nurses at Tenet Healthcare's Midway Hospital Medical Center cast a landslide vote by a 93% margin Tuesday night to affiliate with the California Nurses Association, the state's largest organization of RNs.

The final count in the secret ballot election was 75 to 6, a turnout of more than 85% of the RNs eligible to vote. Midway is in West Los Angeles near Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where CNA also won an election to represent RNs in 2002.

Midway RNs and CNA said the vote is especially significant in the wake of Tenet's announced plans to sell 19 California hospitals, including Midway. The CNA-Tenet agreement provides strong protections for RNs and patients, including a transfer of the RNs' gains in pay, benefits, and new mechanisms to increase the RNs' voice in patient care delivery.

"Winning CNA representation is the best thing for our profession. Even with a new employer, we are guaranteed raises, job security and no loss of benefits because of our CNA contract," said Midway RNs Louella Pilo, Julie Soriano and Fe Galang in a joint statement. "This is just the beginning."

"The vote brings security and stability and a message of hope to Tenet RNs," said David Johnson, CNA organizing director.

Johnson said this vote improves the long term viability of the hospital by enhancing the ability of the hospital to retain experienced RNs and recruit new nurses as a result of its contract with CNA. "Midway RNs have taken a strong stand for the future of their hospital and for the care of patients in their community," he emphasized.

Midway is the first of 22 Tenet hospitals where the RNs will be voting on CNA representation through the end of April as the result of an agreement reached in December, 2003.

The agreement established a framework for RNs to have an increased voice in patient protections in Tenet hospitals and fair, expedited elections. The second election is tonight at Suburban Medical Center in Paramount, also in the Los Angeles region.

"This is a great day for Midway RNs. We now have a strong, professional advocate who will help us stand up for our patients and all the nurses at Midway," said Midway RN Melita Temple-Dioniso, after the results were announced.

"Our vote should send a powerful message to our colleagues at other hospitals voting for CNA in the coming days," she said. "Together we can not be stopped."

"The Midway vote reaffirms that CNA is increasingly the organization of choice for Tenet RNs," said CNA Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro. "We look forward to the day when Tenet RNs are united in CNA with their colleagues in other major California hospital systems working together to change the face of healthcare in our state."

CNA is the largest RN organization in California, representing 55,000 in 150 facilities, including five Tenet hospitals, and the largest independent RN organization in the nation.