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An overwhelming majority of the nurses at the Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in Pleasanton recently voted in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract with the hospital that their union said will improve patient safety and staff retention, among other things.
According to a press release over the weekend from California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the Tri-Valley nurses voted to ratify the new contract on Oct. 9. The union, one of the largest associations of registered nurses in the country, represents 550 nurses at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley.
Denise Bouillerce, senior director of government and community relations for the hospital, told the Weekly, “We are extremely pleased that a majority of our nurses voted to ratify the Tentative Agreement that was signed and endorsed by their union.”
“The new contract provides competitive wage increases and other improvements that reflect the respect and appreciation we have for our nurses and all they do for Tri-Valley and our patients,” Bouillerce added. “Our thanks and congratulations to both negotiation teams for all their hard work in reaching an agreement we could all support.”
The CNA said in a statement to the Weekly that the new contract will provide an 18% increase in wages over the next three years, which the union said will “help retain and recruit experienced nurses”.
According to the union press release, one of the highlights from the new contract include strong workplace violence protections that “give nurses a voice in addressing workplace violence and support following violent incidents”.
“Through our solidarity, nurses were able to secure a stronger contract that helps to prevent workplace violence and keep nurses and patients safe in the hospital,” Arrielle Bouligny, a nurse in the hospital’s intensive care unit, said in the press release.
According to the CNA statement on Wednesday, the contract will enable the Professional Practice Committee, which is made up of nurses, to “suggest modifications to the workplace violence policy, local workplace violence prevention procedures and training content.”
“This contract also ensures that a nurse who has been injured physically and/or psychologically, or who has witnessed an extraordinary or traumatic act of violence or aggression, may request a leave of absence or a temporary accommodation,” according to the union’s statement.
The contract also includes safe staffing provisions like meal and break relief for all units at the hospital throughout the entire shift, according to the press release. The union said nurses need to take breaks during their 12-hour shifts and having a break relief nurse for every unit during the entire shift will help give nurses the rest they need.
“Nurses have taken a big step in a positive direction toward addressing issues of patient safety at our hospital,” Khadijah Abdul-Aleem, a nurse in the pre-operative unit, said in the press release. “With improvements like meal- and break-relief provisions, our new contract will help us better advocate for ourselves and for our patients.”
The new contract will be in effect until Oct. 9, 2027, according to the nurses association.
