Nurses represented by the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement have approved new labor contracts with Stanford Health Care and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, both based in Palo Alto, Calif.
In total, 75% of the more than 6,000 union members voted in favor of the agreement, according to an April 6 news release shared with Becker’s.
According to CRONA, the contracts include:
- Options for shift coverage when paid time off is depleted.
- Increased flexibility in weekend scheduling for union members.
- Three weeks’ notice of upcoming schedules.
- A new holiday: the Friday after Thanksgiving.
- New provisions addressing artificial intelligence and the importance of preserving nurses’ roles in care delivery.
- Workplace violence prevention measures, including training, increased tracking and reassignment accommodations for nurses who have been assaulted or threatened by a patient or visitor.
- Guidelines for responding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Annual across-the-board wage increases in 2025, 2026 and 2027 — totaling 12% over the life of the agreement.
“When we began negotiating our new contracts, our goal was to make sure talented, dedicated CRONA Nurses could stay in the Bay Area and continue to provide expert care to our patients for years to come, especially during this challenging moment for healthcare providers,” CRONA President Colleen Borges, RN, said in the union release. “By winning contracts that include annual pay increases, more opportunities for flexibility, and provisions intended to protect nurses in the face of new challenges, CRONA Nurses are setting a new standard — at the Stanford hospitals and across our industry.”
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital and Stanford Health Care also shared a statement to Becker’s, praising the deal.
“The new contract provides significant improvements, including compensation increases during the three-year term and excellent retirement benefits, among many other enhancements our nurses indicated were important,” the statement said. “We firmly believe that this contract reflects the high regard we have for our nursing staff and is consistent with our commitment to being a best place to work for all our employees. We greatly appreciate the hard work and dedication of the bargaining teams for all their hard work and success in reaching an agreement our nurses could be proud to support.”
