UC offers CNA comprehensive five-year contract for nurses

April 24, 2018

UC and the California Nurses Association met on Apr. 18-19 to continue negotiations for a new contract for UC nurses. UC’s goal is to achieve a multi-year, comprehensive contract that recognizes the critical role nurses play in patient care, and maintains market-competitive wages, excellent health and retirement benefits, and good working conditions for nurses.

At the Apr. 18-19 bargaining session, UC presented CNA with a comprehensive five-year proposal that included:

  • Market-competitive wages: As its opening wage proposal, UC offered annual wage increases of 2 percent for the next five years, which may include step increases, across-the-board increases, and/or lump sum payments. UC has a strong record of paying its nurses market-competitive wages and UC’s proposal will help ensure wages for nurses remain competitive.
  • Quality health care: Continued excellent health care for nurses and their families at the same rates as other UC employees. UC offers a greater selection of health plans and at reasonable rates.
  • Excellent retirement benefits: Current nurses would see no change in their retirement benefits. Future nurses hired after a new contract is ratified would have the opportunity to choose between a traditional pension plan and a 401(k)-style plan, depending on which plan they think suits them best. Few employers offer this choice, or a traditional pension. UC’s retirement program remains among the most generous in the market.

A sympathy strike would be unfair to patients

CNA is asking you and your nurse colleagues to vote to strike in sympathy with AFSCME-represented service employees, should AFSCME call a service worker strike.

We know how dedicated you are to your patients and your profession, and we believe it is highly inappropriate for CNA (or any union) to threaten services to patients as a negotiating tactic — our patients are not bargaining chips. Attached is important information about striking. Please read it carefully so you can make an informed choice about whether or not to support a strike.