The following hospitals and health systems have announced or shared plans for raising workers' pay since Nov. 23:
Note: This is not an exhaustive list.
1. Members of the Windham Federation of Professional Nurses approved a new contract with Windham Hospital in Willimantic, Conn., that resolves a nearly year-long labor dispute. The contract addresses recruitment and retention concerns and includes significant economic investments in staff, according to the union. Union members approved the agreement Dec. 2, about two months after a late September strike.
2. Members of the California Nurses Association at 21 Northern California Kaiser Permanente facilities approved a new contract. The contract boosts wages for Northern California nurses by 22.5 percent over four years. It also adds more than 2,000 new registered nurse and nurse practitioner positions across Northern California facilities.
3. Resident physicians and fellows at the University of California Irvine and the University of California San Francisco reached new contracts that include wage increases and other benefits. Both agreements include raises to help keep up with inflation, beginning with an average of more than 7 percent for physicians, depending on their experience level, according to the union. UCSF residents and fellows reached a tentative agreement with the hospital on Nov. 29, while the UC Irvine physicians approved their new contract on Nov. 18.
4. Members of the National Union of Healthcare Workers approved a new contract with Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare's Fountain Valley (Calif.) Regional Hospital and Medical Center, averting a potential strike. Union members approved the new contract Dec. 1 after authorizing a strike in October. Under the agreement, union members will receive fair and competitive rate increases, according to Tenet. The contract also confirms the hospital's commitment to comply with state-regulated nurse staffing ratios.
5. Nurses at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health-owned hospital in Livingston, N.J., approved a new contract that includes wage increases. Under the new agreement, union members will make at least $43 per hour, according to the union. The agreement, which also addresses staffing, will expire on Dec. 1, 2023.