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St. Vincent nurses honored after winning contract; union asks council to back staffing‑ratio bill
Summary
Council commended registered nurses at St. Vincent Medical Center for winning a collective‑bargaining agreement; nurses thanked council, outlined the unionization timeline and asked for council support of a state assembly bill establishing minimum nurse‑to‑patient ratios.
Councilmember Jackie Goldberg presented a resolution commending registered nurses at St. Vincent Medical Center for securing a collective‑bargaining agreement with management. Goldberg said the contract, reached about a year after the nurses’ union election, provided protections that nurses argued were needed to safeguard patient care.
Debbie (who identified herself as an employee with 20 years at St. Vincent) described the union drive: nurses voted to unionize on April 2, 1998, and a contract was achieved on April 11, 1999. She said the agreement addresses concerns about management practices that they believed put patient care at risk and that the collective‑bargaining arrangement gives nurses a voice on staffing and safety issues.
A representative of the California Nurses Association (CNA) said the union has introduced a state assembly bill (referred to by the speaker as "9394" carried by two assembly members named in the remarks) that would establish minimum patient‑to‑nurse ratios. Speakers asked the council to keep the nurses’ work in mind and support policies that protect safe staffing.
The council presented the resolution and the nurses received ceremonial recognition and photographs. No city policy change or local legislative action was taken at this meeting; the request was for moral and public support for the state bill and recognition of the nurses’ victory.
Next step: Council accepted the resolution; the nurses and their union will pursue state‑level legislation and outreach.
