http://www.calnurse.org/cna/press/
California Nurses Association and Tenet Healthcare Reach Agreement
On Stronger Voice for RNs on Patient Protections and Fair Elections
California’s largest RN organization and hospital system – Tenet Healthcare Corporation and the California Nurses Association – have reached a groundbreaking agreement providing a framework for RNs to have an increased voice in patient protections in Tenet hospitals and fair, expedited elections.
The agreement, approved Tuesday by the CNA RN Statewide Tenet Council, comprised of representatives of RNs at 26 Tenet hospitals, is a major breakthrough for Tenet RNs.
It provides for expedited fair elections ending months of delays that have held up secret ballot elections for Tenet RNs, and establishes assurances of a strong independent patient advocacy voice and the first ever retiree health benefits for Tenet RNs who choose to join CNA. Non-union Tenet RNs will be able to vote within the next five months on affiliation with CNA or any other union of their choice.
The announcement follows the settlement announced Tuesday of a 13-month strike by CNA-represented RNs at Tenet’s Doctors Medical Center in Contra Costa County, Ca. Doctors RNs ratified the strike settlement agreement on Monday which provides improved retirement benefits that set a new standard for RNs in Tenet.
‘A monumental achievement for Tenet RNs’
“This agreement is a monumental achievement for Tenet RNs who have emphatically demonstrated their desire for fair elections and an opportunity to join with CNA to improve standards for their colleagues and patients,” said CNA President Deborah Burger, RN.
CNA Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro commended Tenet’s top administrators for their “genuine desire to resolve our differences in an even handed manner that respects the aspirations of their RNs and their commitment to work with CNA and the RNs to enhance the patient care environment and promote the role of RNs in Tenet hospitals.”
CNA and Tenet, which have had substantial differences over several years, opened negotiations in recent months at the request of California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and with the assistance of AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka.
In a statement today, Lockyer welcomed the announcement. "I'm glad my office could play a useful role in helping Tenet Healthcare reach an agreement that will give its CNA employees a collective voice in speaking up for quality patient care and fair labor practices.” Locker added that the strike settlement “paved the way for the national agreement between Tenet and CNA and signals a strong commitment by nurses and corporate management to work together to provide quality health care for patients.”
“The agreement we have been able to negotiate is huge. It has come about through the tenacity and collective strength of our RNs and our organization,” said Sherri Stoddard, RN, chair of CNA’s Statewide Tenet Council. “For Tenet nurses,” said Stoddard, who works at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo,” this agreement acknowledges our importance and strength in our workplaces and allows us to collectively advocate for the quality of care each of our patients deserves.”
“The CNA/Tenet Contract is a positive step for Tenet RNs,” said Sue Gorney, RN, Alvarado Medical Center, a member of the CNA RN Tenet Statewide Council. “This contract is a unifying force for the RNs to have a voice in improved patient care. It is a starting point for improved pay and benefits. It will be a major step forward in retaining skilled Tenet nurses. My belief is that this contract will be a foundation for safe patient care and respect for the Tenet RNs.”
Edie Rozario, RN, Doctor’s Medical Center, Modesto and a Statewide Council member said that
“RNs at Tenet now have the opportunity to move forward to provide the highest standard of patient care. Only through joining CNA will we have the collective power to enforce safe staffing ratios, give the RNs a voice in patient care decisions and provide benefits to retain experienced RNs.”
“This agreement of CNA/Tenet is a start for us to achieve our goals,” said Statewide Council member Feli Sanchez, RN, Brotman Medical Center. This will provide us the opportunity to have an election, and to achieve improvements to allow us to take better care of our patients.”
Components of the agreement include:
* Immediate elections by the end of April for non-union RNs at 22 non-union Tenet hospitals. The RNs will be free to vote for CNA or any other union that qualifies for the ballot – and the election will be held in an atmosphere free of coercion or intimidation. The CNA-Tenet pact coincides with a separate cooperation accord between CNA and the Service Employees International Union under which SEIU will support CNA representation campaigns for RNs and CNA will support SEIU campaigns for other healthcare employees in California.
* Minimum standards in a statewide Tenet RN contract for RNs who vote for CNA representation, based on direction from the CNA RN Statewide Tenet Council. Standards include 22% pay increases over three years and a new retiree health benefit, funded solely by Tenet contributions, to help pay for medical costs after retirement. Facility issues are to be negotiated by facility-based RN bargaining teams.
* Enhanced staffing standards, including independent RN patient care committees of direct care RNs elected by their peers to enforce safe staffing and patient advocacy issues, with an independent binding arbitration process to resolve staffing ratio disputes. Elected RN committees at every Tenet hospital to address ways of reducing turnover and encouraging retention of experienced RNs including compensation programs designed to eliminate wage inequities and enhance compensation based on seniority and experience.
* A statewide Patient Care Advocacy Forum with regular meetings between Tenet officials and bedside Tenet RNs representing CNA’s RN Statewide Council, to address issues involving patient care and RN educational initiatives.
* Tenet RNs will have full patient advocacy rights and the ability to differ publicly with Tenet on public policy issues, legislative proposals and other matters.
CNA is the largest organization of California RNs representing 55,000 RNs in 150 California facilities, including four Tenet hospitals, and is the largest independent RN union in the U.S.
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