San Leandro and Alameda RNs Ratify New Contract for Safety and Retention

Nurses at San Leandro and Alameda Hospitals Approve New Five-Year Agreement

In a decisive move, registered nurses at San Leandro and Alameda Hospitals have ratified a comprehensive new five-year contract aimed at enhancing patient care and nurse retention, according to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU). The agreement was approved by San Leandro nurses on April 1 and by Alameda nurses on April 2, consolidating both groups under a single contract.

Linda Strack, an RN in the operating room at Alameda Hospital, expressed, “Every single article of our contracts was up for negotiation and nurses upheld the high standards of care we’ve historically fought for.” She emphasized the unified effort to boost nurse and patient health and safety, stating that this landmark agreement significantly improves conditions for Bay Area nurses.

Key Features of the New Contract

• Economic advancements that ensure equality among nurses at both facilities, with a minimum increase of 25 percent over five years, maintaining all current benefits.
• Revisions to scheduling policies that favor community-resident nurses over non-union travelers.
• Guaranteed meal and break periods to prevent medical errors and nurse fatigue.
• Integration of registered nurses into the management’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee.

The agreement spans from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2029.

Mawata Kamara, an RN in the emergency department at San Leandro Hospital, remarked, “Over the last year and a half, nurses spoke truth to power and exercised our union rights in the fight for economic justice. This new contract enables us to provide the best possible care to the vulnerable communities we serve at Alameda Health.”

The CNA represents over 380 nurses at both San Leandro and Alameda hospitals.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in over 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.