IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
University of California nurses have overwhelmingly approved a three-year contract that will give them higher pay while protecting their benefits.
The agreement “improves patient care, workplace safety, and union rights” while protecting union members from subcontractors, according to a statement by the California Nurses Association and National Nurses United.
Announced July 9, the contract provides a minimum across-the-board 16 percent pay increase for the duration of the agreement.
It also provides, eight weeks of fully paid family care, and prohibits any benefit reductions, including cuts in healthcare and pensions.
“UC nurses are proud to ratify our new contract with the university,” said Dahlia Tayag, a registered nurse and bargaining team member, in the statement. “This agreement recognizes and rewards registered nurses for our service and commitment to our patients and communities across the UC system, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Combined, both unions represent an estimated 18,000 nurses in the UC system, including UC Riverside.
The new agreement is scheduled to expire in October 2025.
