SONOMA, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Registered Nurses at Sutter Medical Center of Santa Rosa voted Wednesday night by 96% to affiliate with the California Nurses Association, the state’s largest organization of RNs.
With the vote, which affects about 450 Sonoma County RNs, CNA now represents 5,000 RNs at 13 Sutter hospitals and two visiting nurses associations.
Earlier today, CNA notified Sutter of a request to open negotiations on a first CNA contract for the onetime county hospital. As a first step, the nurses will elect a facility bargaining council and nurse negotiators, and contact nurses throughout the hospital to develop proposals for negotiations.
CNA President Deborah Burger, RN, herself a Sonoma County resident, issued a “warm welcome to my colleagues at Sutter Medical Center. These are dedicated nurses, with great energy and a deep commitment to their patients and the community we all love.”
“By joining with other Sutter nurses throughout Northern California, the Sutter Medical Center RNs in Santa Rosa will help increase the ability of all Sutter nurses to make positive changes for their patients,” Burger added.
The Santa Rosa nurses also celebrated the vote.
“This is a great reason to celebrate Labor Day,” said Betty Roza, RN, an operating room nurse at Sutter Medical Center. “All the nurses are unified behind a great professional organization, CNA.”
Noting the emphatic 96% vote, Emergency Room RN Pam Bacigalupi, added, “The nurses have spoken. We’re looking forward to going to the bargaining table with CNA.”
CNA represents 65,000 RNs in California and across the nation. This year alone, 3,600 RNs have voted to join CNA and its National Nurses Organizing Committee in seven elections.
California Nurses Association
CONTACT: Charles Idelson, +1-510-273-2249 or +1-415-559-8991, or BonnieCastillo, RN, +1-510-719-7147
Web site: http://www.calnurses.org/
