CNA Contract Negotiations:
Facts & Updates

Staying Informed

We understand that collective bargaining can raise questions or concerns for patients, families, employees and the broader community. We are committed to sharing accurate, timely information through official Keck Medicine of USC communications.

Latest Updates

May 14 – Update

We’re pleased to share that Keck Medical Center and the California Nurses Association (CNA) have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement following productive and collaborative negotiations. This proposed agreement reflects meaningful investments in nurses, supports patient care, and strengthens the future of Keck Medical Center as both parties move forward together.

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May 4 – Update

We had productive dialogue throughout the day with both parties speaking openly about the issues that were important to them. We continue to discuss a path forward to an agreement and look forward to our next bargaining date scheduled for Wednesday, May 13th.

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April 17 – Update

Keck Medical Center and CNA resumed negotiations, with support from the federal mediator. We believe the session was productive and we look forward to continuing. We expressed that Keck Medical Center would be willing to consider:

  1. Advancing Year 2 wage and step increases immediately upon ratification
  2. Offering a path back to the no-premium USC EPO Select health plan
  3. Restoring the benefits of our prior best offers and agreements

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Our Approach to Bargaining

We are bargaining in good faith and remain committed to a process that is:

Respectful

We honor employees’ rights to free speech and collective bargaining and expect all participants to engage professionally and responsibly.

Transparent

We share updates through official channels so stakeholders understand what is being proposed and why.

Solution-oriented

Our focus is on realistic, sustainable proposals that reflect both meaningful investment in nurses and the realities of delivering exceptional patient care today and in the future.

Our goal is resolution—through thoughtful engagement and mutual accountability.

Respect for Our Nurses

We value the dedication, professionalism and expertise of our nurses. They are important members of our care team, and we are committed to continued investment in nursing — supporting professional development, workplace stability, and a strong care environment.

We recognize that everyone impacted, including nurses, may hold a range of perspectives about the bargaining process. We respect those views. Whatever the outcome, our focus remains on building a workplace rooted in respect, collaboration and shared responsibility.

 

Keck Medical Center offers a strong combination of compensation, PTO, professional development, and everyday support that makes this a great place to work and grow.

Our proposals at bargaining will continue to reflect meaningful investment in nurses, building on our strong suite of benefits.

Providing generous time off, so you can do more outside of work.

Time away matters. Whether you’re new, mid-career, or experienced, Keck Medicine leads the market in PTO accruals for Registered Nurses.

Everyday Support

Keck Medical Center offers a strong combination of compensation, PTO, professional development, and everyday support that makes this a great place to work and grow.   

Our proposals at bargaining will continue to reflect meaningful investment in nurses, building on our strong suite of benefits. Our goal is simple: to reach a fair and forward-looking agreement that respects nurses, protects patients, and strengthens the long-term future of Keck Medical Center.

PTO Accruals by Exeprience Level

Compared to other Los Angeles hospitals, KMC nurses earn more PTO across experience levels.

Supporting education and growth – for you and your family.

Full-time RNs are eligible for USC Tuition Assistance Benefits — among the strongest in healthcare and higher education.

USC is a proud member of the Tuition Exchange (TE) program, offering children of university employees the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree at one of 700+ member schools at significant savings.

RNs also receive annual education reimbursement:

Patient Care Comes First

Patient care and safety remain our highest priority. Clinical standards, staffing plans and care delivery operations continue as normal. We are committed to ensuring that negotiations do not compromise the care our patients expect and deserve.

Our Commitment to the Community

As a leading academic medical center, employer and community partner, Keck Medical Center remains committed to:

  • Doing what is right for our patients
  • Supporting our workforce
  • Ensuring financial stability and long‑term sustainability
  • Serving our community with integrity and transparency

 

We appreciate the trust our patients and community place in us and will continue to communicate responsibly as negotiations move forward.

Ask a Question

Please share your questions and concerns with your Keck Hospital/USC Norris Bargaining Team.

Email us

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highlights of the new Tentative Agreement (TA)?

We encourage you to review the TA in detail. Both committees worked hard to shape an agreement that invests in nurses, supports patients, and strengthens the future of Keck Medical Center. A few key highlights include:

  • Increasing base wages by an average of 9.2% after ratification, and an average of 19.3% over the life of the contract — with larger increases for many nurses, and increased minimums for RNs who already earn above-scale.
  • Creating a special open enrollment period to allow bargaining unit RNs to opt into no-premium healthcare coverage through the EPO Select plan, effective July 1 — allowing a significant cost-savings for many nurses. Note: This special enrollment period requires contract ratification before May 27, otherwise the no-premium health plan cannot be available this year.
  • Providing a one-time payment for all bargaining unit RNs: $1,000, $750, and $250 for full-time, part-time, and per diem nurses, respectively.
  • Increase of guaranteed resource nurse hours.
  • PTO and time off don’t change.


For individualized information, please consult your personal compensation letter prior to voting, and reach out to [email protected] with any questions. And remember: These wage increases and benefits only go into effect if the TA is ratified. Please be sure to vote “yes” if you support this new agreement between the CNA and Keck Medical Center negotiating teams.

Your voice matters in this process. If you want to see wage increases and other benefits implemented this year, we strongly encourage you to cast a “yes” vote and support ratification. CNA will provide details about the date and location for voting.

We are proud of this agreement, and we sincerely hope it will be ratified resoundingly. If you have questions or don’t understand what a ratified TA would mean for your wages and benefits, we encourage you to reach out to Patrick Zvara (HR) or the Salary Admin team ([email protected]) prior to voting. We are happy to provide information and answer questions.

That said, if the TA were to be rejected:

Most immediately: It would not be possible to hold the special open enrollment period to allow RNs to enroll in no-premium health insurance coverage this year. Many nurses would lose out on substantial savings.

Bigger picture: Terms and agreements worked out over many months might need to be scrapped, and the parties would need to return to negotiations with no guarantee of a better result or of when a resolution would be reached. That means more time would elapse without implementing the wage increases we have been eager to provide.

All in-progress disciplinary action related to the March 19 memo will be rescinded and removed from employee personnel files. Moving forward, the parties acknowledged that Keck Medical Center maintains the right to administer remote education in accordance with its policies. Leaders have the ability to manage remote learning for their employees.

We are actively considering a plan that would allow nurses to make the choice to continue working during a potential future strike, but the Medical Center has not made a final decision yet. We sincerely hope it will not be necessary. We are bargaining in good faith and outlining a strong path forward, and we believe a strike would be counterproductive. We appreciate your dedication and will share more information if we need to.

Keck Medical Center is engaged in a formal collective bargaining process with nurses represented by the California Nurses Association (CNA). Through this process, both parties are discussing a range of workplace issues with the goal of reaching a fair, forward looking agreement that supports nurses, protects patient care and strengthens the long term future of Keck Hospital of USC.

Yes. Bargaining in good faith means participating honestly and constructively in a formal collective bargaining process with the intent to reach agreement. Keck Medical Center is engaged in that process by meeting regularly with the union at the bargaining table, listening to nurses’ concerns, considering proposals and working toward practical, mutually responsible solutions through respectful, professional dialogue.