Stanford, Packard Children’s Hospitals Reach New Contracts with CRONA

Nurses Ratify New Labor Agreements

For Release: April 08, 2011

PALO ALTO, Calif. — Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford announced today that they have reached new contract agreements with the Committee for Recognition of Nursing Achievement (CRONA), the union which represents 2,700 of the hospitals’ nurses.

The majority of CRONA represented nurses voted to ratify the new contract offers, composed of tentative agreements reached by both parties, on April 7, 2011. “We are very pleased to have reached agreement on new contracts for our nurses,” said Greg Souza, Vice President of Human Resources for Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. “The new contracts will result in a 4 percent retroactive pay raise for nurses—in addition to other wage increases—and will advance nursing practice and programs to provide our patients with the very best in patient care.”

In addition to the retroactive 4 percent base pay increase going back to April 2010, other key components of the new contract agreements include an additional 4 percent base wage increase effective April 1, 2011, and modifications to the requirements of the new Professional Nurse Development Program, a new clinical ladder that the hospitals implemented on February 7, 2011. These modifications address eligibility requirements for nurses with 20 or more years of service as an RN at the hospitals, and enhance their ability to achieve a higher nurse classification as part of the new professional development program. “We wish to thank our CRONA represented nurses and CRONA leadership for their part in reaching this agreement” said Dale Spartz, Vice President of Human Resources for Stanford Hospital & Clinics. “We firmly believe that these provisions reflect the high regard we have for our nursing staff and our commitment to nursing excellence,” added Spartz. The new contracts replace the provisions that the hospitals implemented after both sides reached impasse on Feb. 7 of this year. It will remain in place until it expires on March 31, 2013.

The pre-existing contracts between CRONA and the hospitals expired on March 31, 2010.

Author

Sarah Staley
(650) 721-1826
sstaley@stanfordmed.org

About Stanford Hospital & Clinics

Stanford Hospital & Clinics, located in Palo Alto, California with multiple facilities throughout the region, is internationally renowned for leading edge and coordinated care in cancer, neurosciences, cardiovascular medicine, surgery, organ transplant, medicine specialties and primary care. Stanford Hospital is an academic medical institution of Stanford University School of Medicine. Throughout its history, Stanford has been at the forefront of discovery and innovation, as researchers and clinicians work together to improve health, alleviate suffering, and translate medical breakthroughs into better ways to deliver patient care. Stanford Hospital & Clinics: Healing humanity through science and compassion, one patient at a time. For more information, visit: StanfordHospital.org

About Stanford Medicine Children's Health

Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford at its center, is the Bay Area’s largest health care system exclusively dedicated to children and expectant mothers. Our network of care includes more than 65 locations across Northern California and more than 85 locations in the U.S. Western region. Along with Stanford Health Care and the Stanford School of Medicine, we are part of Stanford Medicine, an ecosystem harnessing the potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education, and clinical care to improve health outcomes around the world. We are a nonprofit organization committed to supporting the community through meaningful outreach programs and services and providing necessary medical care to families, regardless of their ability to pay. Discover more at stanfordchildrens.org.