Monterey Nurses Join Union to Enhance Patient Care and Staffing

Registered Nurses at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula Advocate for Enhanced Care Through Unionization

In a decisive move, registered nurses at the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP) in Monterey, California, have cast their votes to join the California Nurses Association (CNA), which is affiliated with the National Nurses United (NNU), the largest registered nurse union in the United States. Nearly 500 nurses participated in the election, which was overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, culminating in the vote count on January 30.

"This is a great day for the Monterey Peninsula community and the patients we care for," stated Kim Campbell, RN. "I spent more than 30 years at CHOMP in the emergency department, and I recall when this was genuinely a community hospital and patient-focused institution. I am so pleased that by forming our union, we will now have a voice to advocate for our patients, create an environment that will help recruit and retain excellent nurses, and make improvements for our patients."

The push for unionization was largely driven by concerns over chronic understaffing. Nurses reported that inadequate staffing levels hinder their ability to provide personalized care to each patient. Moreover, insufficient staffing means nurses often miss their breaks during demanding 12-hour shifts, forcing them to either skip meals or rely on colleagues who are already managing full patient loads.

Adding to their grievances, nurses are frustrated with the hospital's decision to close the cafeteria in the evenings, depriving patients of access to hot meals. In response, nurses have taken it upon themselves to buy meals for patients out of their own pockets.

According to the nurses, CHOMP has the financial capacity to meet the community's needs. They highlighted that from 2020 to 2024, the hospital allocated over $31 million to compensate its top six executives, with former president and CEO Steven Packer receiving $11 million.

"I am thrilled we will be able to start bargaining on the things that matter most like patient care, safe staffing and workplace violence prevention policies," expressed Kristine Olalia, RN in the orthopedic unit.

With the election concluded, nurses will soon elect their bargaining representatives and embark on contract negotiations. The goal is to address the pressing issues that fueled their unionization efforts. They urge CHOMP to honor the democratic election outcome and engage in sincere negotiations.

With this recent development, CNA will now represent a total of 800 nurses at CHOMP.

In addition, CNA already represents several hospitals across the Central Coast, including Salinas Valley Medical Health Center, Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, Watsonville Community Hospital, Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital in Hollister, and Mee Memorial in King City.

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

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