Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals have approved a new labor contract with Prime Healthcare's St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif.
The contract, approved by 81% of voting union members, covers 600 registered nurses at the medical center, according to a Dec. 13 UNAC/UHCP news release.
Highlights of the deal, as cited by the union, include a 9% across-the-board wage increase from the current base rate of pay and placement on the wage grid; 3% pay increases for 2024 and 2025; a minimum 12-week, competency-based orientation for new graduates hired onto the nursing staff and hospital-provided certifications in specialty areas; and expanded protections and pathways for nurses to weigh in more on professional nursing issues.
"The improved compensation will assist in recruitment and retention, but the fight for improvement to safe staffing and safe work environments continues," Sandra Marques, RN, chief negotiator of the St. Francis Registered Nurses Association affiliate, said in the union release. "We hope that the hospital is committed to collaborating with UNAC/UHCP-SFRNA to address and resolve those issues. The St. Francis nurses will continue to fight for our patients and our community, who are deserving of quality care."
Prime shared the following statement with Becker's: "Today is an encouraging day for both the hospital and the dedicated healthcare professionals that provide an incredible service to the community. This agreement contains provisions and conditions that reward our dedicated nurses while also promoting the exceptional delivery of safe, high-quality care to our patients and families. It was important for the hospital to provide economic security to those represented by this [agreement], and St. Francis is pleased to share that there are significant financial increases, not just immediately, but recurring annually over the agreement's lifetime. Prime Healthcare and St. Francis are grateful for the bargaining teams who negotiated in good faith to ultimately reach an agreement that benefits our caregivers and all those we serve."
The agreement is effective Dec. 11, 2023, and will run through Dec. 11, 2026.