21,000 Kaiser nurses approve agreement with 22.5% wage boost

Members of the California Nurses Association at 21 Northern California Kaiser Permanente facilities have approved a new four-year contract.

The contract covers more than 21,000 registered nurses and nurse practitioners, who voted on the deal from Nov. 22 to Dec. 2, according to a union news release.

CNA members at Kaiser Northern California facilities had been in negotiations since June. Registered nurses and nurse practitioners in Northern California were set to strike on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22. However, the strike was averted after workers reached a tentative agreement with Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser last month.

Now, union members have approved the tentative deal, which adds more than 2,000 new registered nurse and nurse practitioner positions across Northern California facilities.

"With this new contract, we will be able to recruit new nurses, retain experienced RNs, and most importantly, provide our patients with improved care," CNA President Cathy Kennedy, RN, said in the union news release. "We are so happy that this contract adds more than 2,000 positions across our Northern California facilities. That is amazing and will improve staffing greatly."

The contract also boosts wages for Northern California nurses by 22.5 percent over the life of the contract, according to a statement Kaiser shared with Becker's last month.

According to both sides, the contract also includes:       

  • Increased tuition reimbursement for nurses' education.       
  • The creation of a new regional equity, diversity and inclusion committee.       
  • Language including agreement that healthcare is a human right.

Becker's reached out to Kaiser and will update the story if a comment is received.

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