The University of California system has offered California Nurses Association members a 27% wage increase, amounting to over $1.1 billion over five years, in its proposed contract.
Under UC’s proposal, union members would receive a 7% pay increase in the first year through base-building raises, step increases and a one-time cash payment, according to an Oct. 1 news release from the university. In subsequent years, nurses would receive wage increases of up to 5%.
“UC nurses are the backbone of our health system, and this proposal recognizes their invaluable contributions,” Missy Matella, UC associate vice president for systemwide employee and labor relations, said in the release. “We are proud to make such a significant commitment, even as the university faces extraordinary financial headwinds. With federal threats to billions in research, healthcare, and student aid funding, along with ongoing pressures on UC academic health centers that receive no state general fund support, this is a moment of real uncertainty.”
UC offered the wage increase at its fourth bargaining session, along with proposals on nurse representation, job postings, grievance processes and health benefit subsidies.
In response, Kristan Delmarty, RN, who works at Los Angeles-based UCLA and is bargaining team member, shared the following statement with Becker’s: “It’s upsetting that UC thinks that the only thing nurses care about are wages and that we would be willing to drop our demands on patient safety improvements.
“Our primary priority is reversing and halting UC management’s growing practice of short-staffing its medical centers and cutting back on resources that have led to the use of ‘shadow beds’ and long ER wait times. Anything short of reversing these practices will simply prolong and exacerbate an untenable situation at our hospitals.”
The union represents approximately 24,047 nurses employed in campus student health and medical centers, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, according to the UC website. Negotiations for a new contract began in August, and the current contract is in effect through Oct. 31.
Both sides are slated to return to the bargaining table on Oct. 15.
