By Timothy Kudo
Daily Bruin Staff
A tentative contract agreement between the California Nurses
Association and the University of California that calls for a 3
percent pay raise for UCLA nurses was reached last Thursday.
Though specifics have not been released, the two-year contract
includes a 3 to 5 percent pay raise to nurses throughout the
UC-system and protections for nurses coming back from the failed
merger between UC San Francisco and Stanford medical centers.
“We are pleased to have reached this agreement and look
forward to continuing a productive, effective working relationship
with CNA,” Judith Boyette, UC associate vice president for
human resources and benefits, said in a statement.
Though David Johnson, director of CNA’s UC division, said
he thought it was a good contract, he added that the union
didn’t get everything it wanted.
“I think we weren’t thrilled with the raises that we
were able to get, especially with UCLA,” he said.
“Having said that, that’s sort of one piece of
it,” Johnson continued. “On other important issues we
made a lot of progress.”
But, according to UC spokesman Brad Hayward, in contract
negotiations, both parties have to make compromises to find common
ground.
“We sought a contract that was fair to the employees, that
was in our resources, and that could be reached in a timely
manner,” he said.
Before the agreement, nurses at UCSF, UC Davis and UC Irvine had
voted to authorize a strike to try and pressure the university
toward agreeing to a contract. Because the two parties were able to
reach an agreement, the strikes have been averted.
“I think that one of the things that was different about
these negotiations is that nurses at the three medical centers
authorized strikes against the university,” Johnson said.
“That was the first time in the history of the UC medical
centers that that’s happened.”
“I think it also speaks to the growing anger about nurses
not being listened to by the UC,” he continued. “They
weren’t going to tolerate a second class contract
anymore.”
One of the agreements in the contract is the protection for
nurses involved in the UCSF-Stanford
medical center merger.
Since the UC Board of Regents voted to dissolve the merger at
the end of last year, CNA has voiced concerns as to what would
happen to nurses coming back under the UC umbrella from
Stanford.
Under the new contract, they will receive higher pay, increased
benefits and more rights.
One of the major issues in the negotiations was protections for
nurses who take sick leave, Johnson said.
He also said the university had punished nurses who took sick
days and even went so far as to fire some of them.
“Not only will nurses not be forced to come into work
sick, which is obviously the desired outcome, but it will have an
improvement on patient care,” Johnson said, referring to the
agreement.
Hayward said he hadn’t heard about such things occurring
and couldn’t immediately respond to the allegations.
Nurses throughout the UC system will vote on the contract within
the next seven to 10 days and the university officials must also
approve the contract. Both parties said they expect approval.
If it is approved it will take effect immediately and the two
parties will renegotiate wages under the contract during its second
year.