Registered nurses at Adventist Health St. Helena vote overwhelmingly to join California Nurses Association

RNs say union protections will lead to improved patient care

Registered nurses at Adventist Health St. Helena in St. Helena, Calif. voted overwhelmingly this week to join California Nurses Association (CNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest and fastest-growing registered nurse (RN) union. In an overwhelming landslide vote, 250 nurses elected to join CNA. The election was conducted by the National Labor Relations Board and the vote count was completed on Thursday, July 23.

"The nurses and patients of St. Helena are my community," said Mark Gonzalez, RN, in the intensive care unit. "We need a union so we have a voice to advocate for our patients and to ensure that Adventist administration invests its profits back into our hospital. We are only asking for what's right, like safe staffing and adequate supplies and equipment. Our patients depend on it."

Nurses at the 150-bed facility say they voted to join the union because it is critical that nurses have a say in making decisions to help recruit and retain experienced nurses, which leads to improved patient care.

"It is so wonderful to welcome the nurses of Adventist St. Helena to the California Nurses Association family," said Sandy Reding, RN and president of CNA. "There is power when we stand together with our union siblings as we work to make our hospitals better for our patients. We know that collectively we can do great things and our patients will be the winners."

CNA/National Nurses United Organizing Committee represents more than 1,880 nurses at Adventist facilities in California including 700 RNs at Adventist Health Rideout in Marysville; 400 RNs at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial in Lodi; 300 RNs at Adventist Health Sierra Vista in San Luis Obispo; and 230 RNs at Adventist Health Twin Cities in Templeton.

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.