The nation’s largest union of registered nurses, the California Nurses Association, announced Thursday evening that RNs at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial had voted overwhelmingly to join the labor organization.
More than 340 RNs work at Lodi Memorial. They will be able to begin collective bargaining for the first time after their vote is certified by the National Labor Relations Board.
“The registered nurses’ vote to join CNA is a great win for our hospital and our community,” said Yvonne Knaggs, a registered nurse at Lodi Memorial. “We are patients’ strongest advocates. Nurses from all departments need to be able to speak up because protecting our patients must come first. Building RN power through a strong union is the answer we’ve been looking for.”
Adventist Health leaders issued a statement Friday morning, saying that its “priority is to ensure a positive and engaging experience at work.” Company officials also said they believed the most effective way to address challenges in health is through a direct working relationship with nurses.
“We offer the assurance that, in considering our various legal options, we will decide what course of action will best preserve our mission of securing safe patient care of unparalleled quality while nurturing an environment of sincere respect for the rights of all of our employees,” the statement read. “We genuinely love our nurses and thank them for choosing to care for our patients every day.”
Nurses told CNA organizers they wanted to ensure Adventist recruited and retained experienced nurses because their knowledge leads to improved patient care.
“We’ve seen many of our colleagues leave over the years due to unsafe staffing, inadequate pay, and a number of other issues,” said Stephanie Moraes, a registered nurse in the telemetry unit. “Now as CNA members, we will have the ability to negotiate a legally binding contract and win better working conditions from management. That means patients will benefit because the hospital will be able to keep experienced nurses at the bedside.”
The California Nurses Association is an affiliate of National Nurses United, a union that represents 225,000 nurses around the nation. NNU President Deborah Burger, RN, says she is thrilled to welcome the Lodi Memorial nurses to CNA.
“We are so proud to stand with Lodi Memorial nurses as they come together to use their collective power to improve their hospital to benefit their community,” Burger said. “We look forward to working with you to achieve better conditions for nurses and patients.
This story was originally published March 09, 2023 8:13 PM.
