Nurses at Doctors and Emanuel get pay raises — plus more — in new contract with Tenet
Registered nurses at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto and Emanuel in Turlock will receive pay raises under a master employment agreement ratified by staff at eight hospitals in the state, the California Nurses Association said.
According to a union press release, wage increases will average 13.5 percent over the first 18 months of the multiyear contract. The union explained that annual cost-of-living and salary step increases for eligible nurses are included in the 13.5 percent.
The agreement affects 4,000 nurses at Doctors, Emanuel and six other hospitals in California owned by Tenet Healthcare Corp.
Nurses at Doctors in Modesto held the ratification vote last week. More than 90 percent of votes cast at the eight hospitals were in favor of the contract, the union said.
Doctors Medical Center released a statement Monday confirming it was notified of the ratification vote. “During the negotiation process, we were focused on reaching an agreement that was good for our nurses and our hospitals. We appreciate the dedication and professionalism all of our employees demonstrate every day in providing quality, compassionate care to our patients.”
The union said the contract provisions will improve staff retention and recruitment at the Tenet-owned hospitals and resolve workplace issues that led to a one-day strike in September. With the new agreement, registered nurses at Emanuel in Turlock are brought up to standards of the master contract.
Part of the agreement deals with scheduling to ensure nurses have breaks during their shifts for rest and meals. The CNA said the contract ideally won’t allow nurses to be called back to work within eight hours of completing a normal shift. The hospital owner has to post on-call schedules 13 days in advance.
Another contract term ensures that nurses will participate in reviewing workplace violence prevention plans specific to hospitals.
This story was originally published November 25, 2019 at 3:30 PM.
