Dear Nurses,

We resumed negotiations with the California Nurses Association (CNA) on March 21 and are pleased to share that the teams continued their positive momentum. We have also agreed to a contract extension through April 30, 2025, with additional bargaining dates scheduled for April 8, 16 and 24. Please see below for a quick recap:

• Discussions at the table continue to be productive, respectful and collaborative.
• We have reached 23 Tentative Agreements so far, including on important topics such as Filling of Vacancies, Leaves of Absence, and Hours of Work, Overtime and Scheduling.
• We believe we are close on the last few remaining items, and we look forward to closing gaps and ultimately reaching an agreement on a new contract we can all support.
• We have provided the union with further details about our robust time off package, which includes a generous PTO policy, sick pay, holidays, winter recess, etc.
  • In addition, we are committed to supporting our caregivers during emergencies (as we did with the recent wildfires) and other incidents out of VHH’s control. We have proposed language at the table stating that we will meet and discuss issues collaboratively with the union in the event of an emergency.

• Your health and safety are a top priority. We continue to have conversations with the union on this important topic as we are committed to taking the necessary steps to prevent violence. We also shared with the union our commitment to complying with the law regarding weapons screening requirements.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your leader or submit them through our negotiation website.

Thank you for your continued service and dedication to USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and our patients.

Respectfully,

The USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Bargaining Team

Dear Nurses,

We resumed negotiations with the California Nurses Association (CNA) on February 21 and March 7 and wanted to provide a quick update.

We are pleased to share that we continued to make significant progress and reached six (6) new tentative agreements: Filling of Vacancies, Education Benefits, Nursing Service Staff, Subcontracting Non-Discrimination and Harassment and article language regarding the Entire Agreement.

During the session, the bargaining teams presented numerous counter proposals on key topics such as Benefits; Holidays; Leaves of Absence; Vacation, Sick Leave and Winter Recess; Hours of Work, Overtime and Scheduling; Floating and Call Offs; the Grievance Procedure; and Compensation.   

In our February 21 session, we presented our first response to the union’s initial economic proposals. Our team reinforced our commitment to reaching an agreement that provides you with competitive compensation, while also emphasizing the hospital’s financial recovery efforts, including recent layoffs and the need for sustainability. We look forward to continuing these important discussions on compensation as we continue throughout this process.

Our next session is on March 13, and we will provide another update at that time. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to your leader or submit them through our negotiation website.

Thank you for your continued service and dedication to USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and our patients.

Respectfully,

The USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Bargaining Team

Dear Nurses,

We resumed negotiations with the California Nurses Association (CNA) on February 4 and wanted to provide an update on our progress.

We are pleased to share that our discussions continue to be respectful and collaborative, with both bargaining teams exchanging numerous proposals and counterproposals on non-economic topics, such as Vacancies, Association Security, Management Rights, Subcontracting, Work Stoppage and Grievance and Arbitration.

The union also presented their initial economic proposals. We appreciate receiving these proposals so early in the process, and our team is currently working diligently to review them and will respond as soon as possible.

We look forward to continuing these important conversations and making further progress during our next session on Friday, February 21. We’ll provide another update following that meeting. In the meantime, please reach out to your leader if you have any questions or you can submit them through our negotiation website, where you’ll also find the latest updates.

Thank you for your continued service and dedication to USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and more importantly, our patients. We are grateful for this extraordinary team.

Respectfully,

The USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Bargaining Team

Dear Nurses,

On December 5 and 12, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital and the California Nurses Association (CNA) held our first negotiation sessions. We look forward to working with CNA and the bargaining team throughout this process, and we wanted to provide you with an update on our progress.

During the initial session on December 5, the bargaining teams met, gave opening remarks and discussed several proposals, such as Technology, Workplace Violence, Health and Safety, Grievance and Seniority, Layoff & Recall.

During the session on December 12, the teams continued to engage in a number of important discussions and exchanged many proposals on various topics. The union presented eight proposals using the current contract language and one proposal with new language on Job Security/Successorship. In return, we presented five counterproposals on topics such as Health and Safety, Management Rights, Subcontracting, Association Security and Technology.

Most importantly, the parties reached three additional tentative agreements, including Recognition, Union Non-Discrimination and Discipline, which is a great start. We appreciate the preparedness of the bargaining teams and the collaborative and productive nature of our discussions. We look forward to continuing the momentum at our next session on January 9.

We’re committed to keeping you informed throughout this process and will be providing you with updates along the way. Latest updates can also be found on our negotiation website that will be updated regularly as a one-stop resource for updates and related information. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your leader as well.

We understand how important the contract is to you and pledge to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that supports you and your profession, provides competitive pay and benefits, and upholds our ability to care for our patients with outstanding service.

Thank you for being an extraordinary team dedicated to delivering exceptional outcomes.

We are grateful for all you do.

Respectfully,

The USC Verdugo Hills Hospital Bargaining Team