California Nurses Ratify Contract Enhancing Safety and Retention Measures

California Nurses Secure New Contract to Enhance Patient Safety and Nurse Retention

In a significant move to bolster patient safety and improve nurse retention, registered nurses at six California Tenet facilities have ratified a new three-year contract with overwhelming support. The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) announced that 93 percent of nurses voted in favor of the agreement, which was established at facilities including San Ramon Regional Medical Center, Doctors Hospital Manteca, Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Twentynine Palms.

"This ratified contract is the result of nurses standing together to demand better," stated Kristi Carson, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto. "It’s about recruiting and retaining nurses, but it’s also about holding the hospital accountable for providing safe, quality care our patients deserve."

Key Provisions of the Contract

• Safe staffing improvements: Each facility will have a dedicated rapid response nurse, and new nurses will receive a guaranteed minimum orientation period.
• Economic gains: Wage increases ranging from 11 percent to 18 percent over the contract’s duration.
• Healthcare benefits: No reductions to existing healthcare benefits.

The contract is effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.

Rachel Garcia, a registered nurse from the intensive care unit at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, expressed pride in the outcome: “For well over a year our nurses have been at the table, in the facility and out on the streets. We have been voicing our concerns and demanding improvements. Today, we stand proud. We have won a fair contract, one that delivers real improvements for our patients.”

The ratification follows a one-day strike held by the nurses in October 2025, following stalled negotiations.

Deb Edwards, a registered nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, highlighted the collective effort: "This victory reflects the power of unity, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to safe quality care. Together we have made our voices heard, and together we have made change happen."

The CNA represents nearly 3,000 nurses across these six facilities in California.

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

---
Read More USA Works News