Two big wins for nurses & health care workers

Two big victories affecting thousands of Local 1000-represented nurses and health care workers were announced last week: an arbitrator found that the state violated our contract by denying prison health care employees equity adjustments; and, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a pay parity bill (AB 3043) that will give raises to nurses and other health care professional workers in three key departments.

“These two victories really show Local 1000’s representational strength and prove that we can fight for our nurses and other health care workers on multiple fronts and win,” said Unit 17 Chair Nancy Lyerla. “Even at a time when there is a $15 billion dollar budget deficit and we are negotiating a new contract, we are still strong enough to score wins in arbitration and in the Legislature.”

The July 2 arbitration win stems from the state’s unilateral decision that refused to give health care workers in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation equity pay raises required in our 2006 contract. The state claimed that pay adjustments ordered by the federal court-appointed receiver invalidated equity provisions in our contract. Arbitrator C. Allen Pool agreed with Local 1000 that the federal action did not address these provisions. Pool wrote: “The employees at issue shall be made whole for all lost income and benefits.”

AB 3043 provides parity pay increases for about 3,000 health care workers - mainly registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses - who work in the departments of Mental Health, Veterans Affairs and Developmental Services. Those three agencies have severe staffing shortages because workers in patient care are underpaid compared to CDCR and other medical facilities outside state service.

Click here to read the entire arbitration decision.