The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting everyone's lives in unimaginable ways. Your bargaining team hopes that you and your families are finding ways to stay safe and healthy in these challenging times.

The crisis has interrupted contract negotiations and caused the County to make significant changes to its operations and staffing in a short period of time. Your bargaining team is currently working on agreements to (1) implement across the board wage increases for nurses in 2020, (2) enable the County to staff the COVID Care Centers as needed, (3) protect the licenses of nurses who volunteer or are assigned to work in a Care Center and (4) compensate the nurses who take on the heroic work of caring for sick or quarantined patients.

We have heard from many of you, raising concerns about the lack of clear policies, protocols, and procedures at the new COVID Care Centers. We share your concerns and have been working hard to get these important questions answered by the County. In particular, we have requested copies of job descriptions (including qualifications/education requirements, required skills, preferred skills, essential job functions), admission criteria, facility-specific orientation and training plan, medication management policies and procedures, infection prevention policies, emergency response policies, and information about security and behavioral health support services. We understand that nurses need this information in order to determine whether they can safely perform the work required at Care Centers.

In the meantime, please continue to let us know about your questions/concerns, and continue to fill out ADOs.

We hope to finalize agreements with the County in the near future. Please stay tuned for announcements.