University of California Nurses Reach Tentative Deal, Cancel Planned Strike
A planned labor strike by University of California nurses has been called off after the university system and the nurses’ union reached a tentative deal on pay and benefits, both groups announced Sunday. The agreement brings an end to months of negotiations between the University of California and the California Nurses Association, which represents some 25,000 registered nurses working across 19 UC facilities.
The four-year deal follows another one announced on November 8 between UC and the University Professional and Technical Employees union, which represents 21,000 healthcare, research, and technical professionals across the UC system. Those groups had been negotiating a new contract for 17 months. The nurses’ union had planned to strike on Monday and Tuesday in solidarity with a third union, AFSCME 3299, which represents patient care technical workers, custodians, food service employees, security guards, secretaries, and other workers at UC hospitals and campuses.
Key Provisions of the Deal
Kristan Delmarty, a registered nurse at UCLA Santa Monica and member of the nurses association’s board of directors and bargaining team, said the union “organized for and won important patient protections” in the deal — which she said nurses will vote to approve this week. “Going into this round of bargaining, it was our priority to ensure UC nurses were given the resources to care for our patients and ourselves after years of short-staffing and under-resourcing,” she said.
Delmarty emphasized that the deal achieves the union’s goal of ensuring that nurses have the necessary resources to provide quality care to patients. The nurses association said thousands of its members still planned to join AFSCME picket lines “while not on work time.” UC officials also lauded the deal, with Missy Matella, associate vice president for systemwide employee and labor relations, stating that it “reflects the tireless work and collaboration of UC’s bargaining team, medical center leaders, and systemwide leadership working hand in hand with our dedicated nurses.”
Impact on Patients and the UC Community
Matella expressed gratitude to the nurses and the CNA bargaining team for their partnership and shared commitment to what matters most: patients and the UC community. “This strong, forward-looking deal honors the vital role nurses play in delivering exceptional care and advancing UC’s public service mission,” she said. Meanwhile, AFSCME 3299 was still planning to strike, with members readying strike signs and expressing their determination to fight for a fair contract.
The situation highlights the ongoing labor disputes in the healthcare sector, with unions pushing for better working conditions, pay, and benefits. The University of California’s deal with the nurses’ union is a significant development, but the strike by AFSCME 3299 underscores the remaining challenges in ensuring that all workers are treated fairly. For more information on this story, visit Here.
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