Bargaining Unit 17
Registered Nurses
Recent Updates from Unit 17:
“These are some recent wins we’ve had: successfully helping members fight for their bonuses, including a victory against DSH’s refusal to pay. We also completed three critical reports on mandatory overtime for the Dept. of State Hospitals, CDCR/CCHCS, and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, strengthening our fight for fair working conditions.”
Who We are
Unit 17 includes registered nurses who work in California prisons, veteran’s homes, developmental centers, mental health hospitals, departments of healthcare services and public health, special schools and other departments that serve Californians.
For any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]
Unit 17 Bargaining Unit Negotiating Committee (BUNC)
CA Nurse Alliance offers free CEUs
Assignment Despite Objection
Mandatory Overtime (MOT) Information
GeoPay Task Force Presents and Releases Report
Our contract is the agreement between SEIU Local 1000 and the State that outlines our pay, our benefits, and our rights! Our bargaining team is gearing up to negotiate a new contract and what we win depends on how strong and united we are.
Here are the priorities our Bargaining Unit 17 team is bringing to the table:
Special Salary Adjustment (SSA) for Registered Nurses (RN)
- RNs have lacked recognition for decades.
- We will do everything possible to secure this SSA, however it will also take you to fight with us at your worksites. Your actions are essential to our fight for a fair contract.
Strengthen Article Language for Floating/Redirecting RNs
- We must eliminate contract violations, which are currently happening at an alarming rate in the majority of departments with RN staff.
- This issue was in the top three for member responses in the Unit 17 Bargaining Survey.
Improve the Reimbursement Process for the State of California
- The inefficient system known as “CalATERS” prohibits our members from receiving their work-related reimbursements in a timely manner or at all.
- Our bargaining team will be developing a proposal to change this antiquated process to a more modern procedure of reimbursing SEIU Local 1000 nurses that is already being used in other classifications.
Unit 17 Bargaining Updates
Bargaining Report as of May 14 Update
Your BU 17 bargaining team continues to advocate for improvements that support recruitment & retention, workplace protections, and fair compensation for our nurses across the state. Bargaining Activity This Week: After additional bargaining...
Bargaining report as of May 7, 2026
After officially kicking off bargaining on April 22, 2026, Bargaining Unit 17 (BU 17), representing Registered Nurses, has begun unit-specific negotiations with the State. As one of the largest and most complex units, BU 17 is approaching...
Sunshine Meeting with CalHR: January 14, 2026
January 14, 2026 Your bargaining team just completed our sunshine meeting with CalHR – our first step on the road to our next contract! In this meeting, we made it clear to CalHR that our goal is to negotiate a fair and equitable contract shaped by...
AB 2367 – State Employment Workforce Reporting Requirements
Mandatory overtime continues to strain nurses and healthcare professionals across California state facilities, impacting workers, patients, and the quality of care. To address the staffing crisis and improve transparency, AB 2367 would require regular reporting on staffing vacancies, overtime usage, and contractor spending within state health facilities. This reporting would provide policymakers, departments, workers, and the public with a clearer understanding of the ongoing staffing challenges and help identify long-term solutions to reduce reliance on mandatory overtime.
Watch Bargaining Unit 17 Chair Vanessa Seastrong discuss why AB 2367 is an important step toward accountability, safer staffing, and better outcomes for workers and patients alike.