California nurses call off Kaiser strike | The Sacramento Bee

The California Nurses Association has called off a strike this week against health giant Kaiser Permanente after settling a number of sticking points in contract talks on behalf of 18,000 registered nurses at 86 Kaiser hospitals and clinics in northern and central California, including Sacramento.

The tentative agreement, announced Saturday, calls for hiring hundreds of RNs and the creation of a committee of nurses to work with Kaiser management to address concerns about patient care. It also provides for a 14 percent pay hike over three years and an increase in employer contributions to the nurses’ 401(k) pension plans, the union said in a news release.

The nurses union said the agreement “is likely to elevate RN standards across the nation.” Kaiser also praised the agreement in a news release, saying it would help meet the organization’s goals of providing “the highest quality, and most affordable care to the American people while also being the best place to work.”

The pact will be put to a vote of the union’s members over the next month.