CRONA and Nursing in the News

(a selection of recent news articles)

New York Times 5/9/22:  When Health Care Workers Are Protected, Patients Are, Too (includes mention of CRONA)

Who Gets the Bird? 5/9/22: Jonah Furman’s labor newsletter (Jonah Furman is from Labor Notes; newsletter mentions CRONA’s recent strike and contract)

Nurse.org 4/7/2022: Another Nurse Prosecuted For The Death of a Patient (no CRONA mention, however is in regard to Just Culture in Nursing)

May 10, 2022

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

Do you have questions about the new contracts? We will have a table at Wednesday’s Nurse Week event staffed by members of the CRONA Negotiation Team. Keep reading this newsletter and follow @cronanurses on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) for ongoing news and education about new contract language. Every CRONA Nurse deserves to receive full advantage of our new language. Let’s keep learning!

Check Your Paychecks. We have an update on implementation of our new contract raises. The 5% pay raises are retroactively “effective at the start of the payroll period that is closest to” April 1, 2022, namely the pay period that started on April 3. Make sure you check your paychecks carefully to ensure your pay rates are correct. The new wage scales are linked on our Negotiations page. The hospitals shared with CRONA their target dates for implementation of the new wage rates and retro pay, and they are:

LPCH: the May 20 paycheck (covering pay period for 1 – 14 May) should reflect the new contract pay rates for all CRONA Nurses. Retro pay will also be paid in the May 20 check, except for any Nurse with a step change. For all Nurses with a step change, retro pay should be in the June 3 paycheck.

SHC: the June 3 paycheck (covering pay period for 15 – 28 May) should reflect new pay rates and retro pay for all CRONA Nurses.

Outstanding Items. CRONA is in dialog with the hospitals regarding implementation of new contract language, including:

• HSA contributions
• Student loan payment funds election process
• RSN guidelines for staffing by acuity

Look for updates in future newsletters on these issues and more.

Published Contracts. The full contracts linked on the CRONA website are the 2019 – 2022 contracts and will remain that way until the official 2022 – 2025 contracts are published. It always takes a few months for the final version of the new contract to be published: both CRONA and the hospitals must review every word of the new contracts to ensure they are accurate and match our agreements. For new contract language information, please see the Tentative Agreements on the Negotiations page of the CRONA website.

We’re making an exception for Nurse Week! Our membership and Area Representative monthly webinars are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Due to our Nurse Week Unity Celebration on the second Wednesday in May we are moving the webinar to the THIRD WEDNESDAY, May 18. It will be at the usual time, 8:00 p.m.

We will answer all your CRONA related questions at the webinar – including questions about the new contracts. See you then!

Celebrate CRONA Nurses

Here’s an image for your social media profile picture to celebrate our strength, unity, and advocacy. Nurse Week is coming soon! Keep this image up through Nurse Week and showcase how CRONA Nurses carry on the legacy of Florence Nightingale and light the way forward in Nursing.

CRONA in the News

(a selection of recent news articles)

ZDoggMD 4/29/22: The VZPD Show Ep. 17| Moderna for Kids, Physician-Influencers, Stanford Nurses Strike – ZDoggMD, listen at minute 42:30 for Stanford Nurses Strike.

SF Chronicle 5/2/22: Stanford, Packard nurses vote overwhelmingly to end strike, approve new contract

Mother Jones 5/2/22: After a Week on Strike, Stanford Nurses Just Approved a New Contract

The Stanford Daily 5/2/22: Stanford nurses ratify contract with hospitals, set to resume work on Tuesday

KQED 5/2/22: Stanford Nurses Approve New Contracts, Ending Weeklong Strike

Healthcare Drive 5/3/22: Stanford nurses ratify deal, ending weeklong strike

Becker’s Hospital Review 5/3/22: Stanford, Lucile Packard nurses OK 3-year contracts, return to work

May 4, 2022

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

When we announced our strike, CRONA was clear that Nurses would only come back to work when the hospitals acknowledged our expertise, our sacrifices and our professionalism.

💙💪 Thanks to the unity, energy and dedication you brought to CRONA and our picket line, we’re back to work with industry-leading contracts!

When Stanford and Packard threatened to cut off our health benefits, they thought it would break our resolve. But it backfired. It only strengthened CRONA Nurses’ unity and perseverance, and helped us build tons of support from our community.

Because we stood strong together for fair contracts that support Nurses and our patients, the hospitals could not ignore our demands. We won improvements across every single priority area we set out –

💙 protections for safe staffing

💙 industry-leading wages (17% over the next three years)

💙 significant improvements to retiree medical benefits and access to mental health benefits

💙 incentive pay for high-acuity, hard-to-staff units

💙 additional pre-scheduled vacation rights

After years of battling the pandemic on the frontlines, it is time for executives in the hospital industry to listen to Nurses instead of resorting to union-busting tactics and cutting corners.

⚠️ CRONA is committed to ensuring that employers are not allowed to weaponize health care benefits in the future. Being in a labor dispute should not mean you lose access to health care. Assembly Bill 2530 in the California State Legislature would ensure striking workers do not have to worry about breaks in coverage. Tell Governor Newsom and your representatives to support AB 2350 to protect workers’ health care. Find your local legislators here.

CONGRATULATIONS to all CRONA Nurses on our incredible victory and setting the highest standard for patient care and our profession. #CRONAStrong!

LPCH Nurses – Healthcare Benefits

Note: Stanford Nurses’ benefits were not affected; this is a Packard-only issue.

CRONA’s agreement to end the strike included an express and binding commitment by the hospital that “the strike will not affect Nurses’ benefit eligibility, and all Nurses who were benefit-eligible as of April 24, 2022 shall remain benefit-eligible as of May 3, 2022, with no break in benefit coverage ….”

Packard hospital, for reasons that have not been explained, appears to have ongoing issues with respect to notifying “vendors” that there should be no break in benefit coverage. The hospital stated in its email to all Nurses that it “anticipate[d] this will be completed on May 3.”

Despite the hospital’s statement, we are aware that some Nurses are continuing to experience problems accessing their healthcare benefits. For any LPCH Nurse who has had problems with coverage, you should contact Jasmine Robinson at JasRobinson@stanfordchildrens.org.

Please keep CRONA in the loop if you are having problems, as CRONA will follow up with the hospital to make sure that all issues are being promptly addressed.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Packard has also stated that it was unable to recall “COBRA notices” that are going out to Nurses this week. As stated in management’s communication, you should ignore the COBRA notice.

Celebrating Nurses Week

While we are disappointed that both hospitals decided to postpone celebrating Nurses Week next week, we are undeterred in holding our own celebrations! We have our Nurse Week event on Wednesday, May 11 from 5:00 – 10:00 p.m. Please RSVP using the link in the eblast. Look for announcements about other events!

Celebrate CRONA Nurses

Here’s an image for your social media profile picture to celebrate our strength, unity, and advocacy. Nurse Week is coming soon! Keep this image up through Nurse Week and showcase how CRONA Nurses carry on the legacy of Florence Nightingale and light the way forward in Nursing.

New Updates!

May 2, 2022; 5:41 p.m.

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

As we celebrate the great contract wins, we are also getting questions about the details of returning to work. We will continue to provide updates, but here are a few.

Return to Work Times.  NEW INFORMATION! CRONA’s return-to-work and strike settlement agreement provide that CRONA Nurses will return to work at 6:45 a.m. at Stanford and 7:00 a.m. at Packard on Tuesday, May 3 – and will work their previously scheduled shifts. You should show up at this time, even if your regular shift starts earlier. The hospitals have informed us that there will be “gap coverage” for the time before the strike ends. You should work through your regularly scheduled end time.

Shared Leadership Cancellation.  CRONA is aware that the Stanford Shared Leadership meeting scheduled for Tuesday, 5/3, was canceled. The strike settlement agreement provides that Nurses will be returned to their previously existing schedules, beginning Tuesday at 6:45 a.m. at Stanford. Please contact your manager regarding whether there is a need for you to work during the time the Shared Leadership meeting was scheduled (0830-1630). As an alternative, it is CRONA’s understanding that Nurses may voluntarily choose to work a full regular day shift or night shift to fill staffing needs. If not needed, those affected by the Shared Leadership meeting cancellation may use PTO, ATO, or take the day unpaid.

Nurses Who Are Unable to Report on May 3. If you are unable to report to work as scheduled on May 3, you should contact your manager (not staffing). Under our return to work agreement with the hospitals, you should use your best efforts to report as scheduled on May 3, but as long as you are acting in good faith, you will not be subject to discipline. Note that this applies to May 3 only.

LPCH Medical Benefits. The hospitals committed, as part of the strike settlement, that there would be “no break in benefit coverage” for all benefit-eligible Nurses. At Packard, it is CRONA’s understanding that there have been delays in implementing this commitment. CRONA has raised these concerns directly with the hospital. Packard will be sending an email addressing problems that Nurses may be experiencing as a result of these delays. If you are having problems accessing your medical benefits that are not addressed by the hospital’s communications, please contact us at crona@crona.org.

On-Site EAP Access. The hospitals are providing on-site access to the EAP for the remainder of this week.

• Packard will have EAP on-site Tuesday through Friday for all staff by appointment in Consult-725-Main-3106-8. The hospital will be sending a communication about this.
• Stanford will have EAP on-site at 500P this Tuesday though Friday for all staff from 7am-5pm. They will be located at the Family Resource Center (3rd Floor).

In Other Union News – Doctors Now Unionized!

Congratulations to Stanford and Packard Residents and Fellows, now officially in a union of their own. The voting period was held during the month of April and the ballots were counted at the National Labor Relations Board today. This is breaking news as the vote count was just finished this afternoon!

Celebrate CRONA Nurses

Here’s an image for your social media profile picture to celebrate our strength, unity, and advocacy. Nurse Week is coming soon! Keep this image up through Nurse Week and showcase how CRONA Nurses carry on the legacy of Florence Nightingale and light the way forward in Nursing.

April 29, 2022

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

💪🙌 A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has been out on the picket line this week. Today, we had strong showings at Stanford and Packard facilities across the Bay Area. We are proud of the unity and strength CRONA Nurses have shown every single day since the start of the strike.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla will be meeting Nurses on the picket line today, 4/29 at 2:45 p.m.! We are thrilled that Senator Padilla is coming out to support us in our fight for fair contracts, after his earlier public statement in solidarity with CRONA Nurses.

Senator Padilla will be joined by other allies from our community standing in solidarity with Nurses. Picketing tomorrow has been extended until 3:30 p.m., to allow families to join if they are able. (We will have CRONA t-shirts available Friday afternoon for adults and kids.) Let’s finish out week one #CRONAstrong, with our families and our allies by our sides! 

Bargaining Update:  Your bargaining team was hard at work Thursday in federal mediation, pushing hard to reach fair contracts. We made progress yesterday with the federal mediator and we plan to meet again in mediation today and continue our work. Those mediation discussions remain confidential. We will provide an update as soon as we have one to share.

April 27, 2022

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

💪🙌 The solidarity on the picket line today was truly inspiring. Nurses standing up for each other and for patient care is a force to be reckoned with.

Bargaining Table Update. Your CRONA negotiating team was in federal mediation today with the hospitals and the parties have agreed to continue working with the federal mediator tomorrow. When the parties are in mediation, there will not be detailed updates. Your CRONA team will of course let you know if there is anything to report.

Picket Line Update. The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) and its organizing committee made up of Stanford residents and fellows issued a strong statement of support for striking CRONA Nurses today! We were joined by electricians from IBEW Local 440. And many friends and family of CRONA Nurses turned out on the picket line in a tremendous show of solidarity. We even had Coca-Cola and AT&T representatives stop by to support us.

Main hospitals and off-sites on THRUSDAY

Thursday (tomorrow!) we have both off-site and main hospital picket lines. Join the picket lines at your location of choice (see maps with times and locations, below) from 7:00 – 10:00 a.m.

COMING ON FRIDAY!!

Let’s finish the week #CRONAstrong with a big afternoon turnout for the picket line on Friday. By popular request we are having an afternoon CRONA kids family picket time from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. – the extra half hour to accommodate child care requests. All CRONA Nurses encouraged to help us close out the week – we will be taking Saturday and Sunday off because we all deserve it. We will also have CRONA T-SHIRTS available Friday afternoon for adults and kids (kids’ sizes in limited quantities). CRONA Nurses are all about family, and our families are an important source of support in our strike as well as part of the reason our contract improvements are so important to us. Please message your coworkers and make plans to come together with your families on Friday afternoon.

Picket Signs. Please bring CRONA picket signs (along with yourself) back to the picket line. We are almost out of signs and need signs for people to carry. Your own homemade signs are also welcome – we’ve seen some really creative signs!

NOTES:

• If you have a picket sign – come to the picket line!
• Family members and CRONA Nurse allies welcome!
• We have signs for you to carry – please return for reuse when you leave.
• OK to bring your own sign, subject to approval by Strike Lead
• Masks highly encouraged
• Wear sunscreen
• Stay hydrated
• Carpool/public transportation suggested
• Z, C, A University permit lots (if you have annual or day use permit)
• No hospital access – use outside porta-pottys or off-site restrooms
• Please pick up your trash – let’s keep it clean

Have questions? See a Strike Lead

• Look for the CRONA Nurse in a blue safety vest
• Refer all media/reporter inquiries to the Strike Lead
• Need a picket sign – see a Strike Lead
• Have an issue? See a Strike Lead

Here is an Image to Share on Social Media:

Please use this for your profile picture or post to your social media feed to show your support!

CRONA Special Info

Letter to the hospitals from Assemblymember Ash Kalra, 27th Assembly Districk; Assemblymember Marc Berman, 24th Assembly District; and State Senator Josh Becker, 13th Senate District

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

Monday morning CRONA Nurses will stand in unity – demanding fair contracts that recognize our worth. That does not mean that your negotiating team will stop working. As we have been doing for the last 4 months, your negotiating team is working hard. We are meeting this weekend and are scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.

We have heard from so many of you that now is our time! While we have considered the hospitals’ request to call off the strike, we are not prepared to stop pushing for contracts that recognize the value we bring to the hospitals and meaningfully address the urgent issues that are making our profession unsustainable.

We will continue to do everything possible to get all 5,000 CRONA Nurses working under fair contracts that recognize our worth and value our dedication to our profession and our patients. Now is the time to stand strong and united as we push for the contracts we deserve.

More information is coming. Look for an email with additional strike details – parking, where to assemble, and more – later this weekend. Details about tomorrow’s Unity Picnic event (and venue change!) are below.

In solidarity,

CRONA Executive Board and Negotiation Team

#Unity

My 2000 Strike Story

It had been a typical busy night in the PICU. I had been at the hospital just over a year and had really settled in into my new unit and routine. As always, the PICU was short-staffed so I had picked up an extra shift. I sat eating my dinner in a quiet place to unwind and relax before heading back out the chaos of a typical PICU shift. My reverie was interrupted by Dawn, a day-shift charge Nurse, coming into the room. I barely knew her but I knew she was involved in the union. I had never worked at a union-represented hospital before, so I knew I was a member but beyond that I did not even know we were in contract negotiations. That would change in an instant.

Dawn strode into the room and walked up to the CRONA board. I watched as she tacked a sign with one word that would change everything: “IMPASSE.” Seeing my puzzled expression, she began to explain what this meant. The break room was quickly filling with Nurses gathered to hear the news Negotiations had become ineffective and CRONA was going out on strike!

In just a few hours, the hospital was crawling with managers. They began collecting keys and telling us to clean out our lockers. Our manager announced that she had been assured our unit would be staffed by non-union temp workers. At 7:00 a.m., we sat waiting for the scabs to come in and take report. We needed a minimum of 12 Nurses, but by 7:30 a.m., only four replacement workers had shown up. The growing panic of our managers was palpable. By 8:00 a.m., the manager was frantically trying to move patients around. Half an hour later, the CRONA president came by and offered to cover the PICU on a shift-to-shift basis since so many patients were uncovered. We gave report and walked out as a group. We would learn later that the same issue had occurred in the NICU.

As we walked out the front doors of the hospital, we were cheered by a huge crowd of off-duty CRONA Nurses who were already walking the picket lines. We picketed for over an hour and eventually went home to sleep, exhausted from our shifts and unsure of what would come next.

I woke up a few hours later to a call from the CRONA president, asking if I would be willing to come in and staff the PICU that night. She assured me that it was with full union approval, so I agreed. The few CRONA nurses in the building checked in with each other as well as with some of the NICU nurses who also had been asked to cover critical patients. I left the next morning and did not return for over 50 days.

I applied at a registry and prepared to begin working on a temporary basis to earn money while we waited for the hospitals to come to their senses. Much to my surprise, there was more work available than I actually needed. Even better yet, I found I was working with many of my same colleagues! We quickly arranged carpools and dubbed the UCSF PICU “LPCH North.” The inability of the hospital to cover the normal patient load meant that the surrounding hospitals were packed with our patients. We provided them with the same quality care, just in a different location.

As the strike went on, we continued to picket and attend informational meetings on an almost daily basis. I formed many lifelong friendships that summer as we stood united in a cause and fight we all thought was worthy. One of the most powerful events of the strike was our candlelight vigil. Over 500 Nurses gathered in front of the fountain — each holding a lit candle — for a moment of silence. It was one of the most powerful and moving experiences I have ever participated in.

After 52 days, the strike finally ended and we returned to work. The strike of 2000 was difficult and it involved sacrifice, but it remains one of the most professionally-affirming events of my life. CRONA Nurses stood united and we stood together for what we knew was right — and it got us the benefits and rights we have today. Looking ahead to the fight we face today, I know CRONA Nurses have the power and the strength to stand up for what Nurses and patients need and deserve. I have walked the line before, and I am ready to do it again!

In Solidarity,

Fred Taleghani

#KnowYourWorth #CRONAStrong

CRONA in the News

(most current articles on top; see previous newsletters for additional articles)

San Jose Mercury News/Times-Herald: “I’m exhausted”: Why Stanford nurses are preparing to strike and others already have

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

We know that this is an anxious time for everyone. As the strike comes closer and the hospitals start to feel the pressure of ensuring uninterrupted and high-quality patient care, they are finally recognizing just how invaluable we are. But we never doubted our worth.

In short, the hospitals are waking up. We just wish it hadn’t taken them so long.

The Hospitals’ Friday Evening Proposal and What It Means

Even as we have continued to work at the bedside, we have been here and ready to meet. When the hospitals requested a Friday night negotiating session to present their proposal – their formal response to our April 12 proposal – your CRONA negotiating team was there.

The hospitals are likely hoping that their revised proposal will allow them to stem the tide of bad public opinion. Nearly 30,000 people signed our petition to call out the hospitals’ shameful tactics of trying to hold our health benefits hostage. And numerous news outlets have told our stories of burn-out, exhaustion from working in chronically understaffed areas, and lack of access to mental health benefits.

Your team will work hard this weekend and we have a formal bargaining session scheduled for Tuesday. Our goal has always been to avoid a strike and we will continue to fight for contracts that address the issues that matter to all of us. If a strike cannot be avoided, we will continue to do everything possible to get all 5,000 CRONA Nurses back to work quickly under fair contracts that recognize our worth and value our dedication to our profession and our patients. Now is the time to stand strong and united as we push for the contracts we deserve.

The Fine Print

Until tonight, the last on-the-record proposal was CRONA’s proposal from April 12. Ten days later, we have a response from the hospitals that shows some movement on issues the hospitals had previously refused to address – like access to vacation and student loans. The hospitals’ proposal, however, still has pitfalls that we have previously identified. Here are some of them.

• Wages and Bonuses. The hospitals propose base wage increases of 5%, 4%, and 4% in years 1-3, and then offer “incentive payments” of 2% six months after ratification, and 1% 18 months after ratification. Nurses are savvy enough to know that this does not make year 1 the 7% increase that CRONA has proposed.

And read the fine print: the proposed bonuses are based on minimum commitments, not actual hours worked, and available only for Nurses employed on the date of ratification.

• Mental Health Support. The hospitals continue to reject our proposal to provide funds for private mental health care, offering a one-time six-session program.
• New “Hard to Fill” Position Side Letter. The hospitals’ new proposal, which is an attempt to address the need to recruit and retain critical care Nurses, fails to address the real-life challenges of the critical care areas and why they in particular need incentives for recruitment and retention. CRONA has spent a lot of time during these negotiations explaining to the hospitals how under-resourced the critical care areas are – and they still don’t believe us.

State Lawmakers Call on Hospitals to Stop Playing Games with Nurses’ Health Care Benefits – Call Tactic “Unconscionable”

Even as the hospitals present their revised proposal, they are refusing to back down from their outrageous decision to use our medical benefits as a weapon in these negotiations. Tonight, Assembly Members Ash Kalra and Marc Berman, along with State Senator Josh Becker, sent a letter to Stanford and Packard, calling on the hospitals to immediately continue good faith negotiations without the threat of stripping nurses of health care: 

“While we fully understand and appreciate the negotiation process, it seems unconscionable that Stanford and Packard would use something as essential as health care benefits as a means to threaten against their right to strike. … Having received generous federal funding the last two years, Stanford and Packard health care should not be playing games with nurses’ health care benefits.”

We are grateful to the Senator and Assembly Members for their support. We hope the hospitals are listening.

#Unity

Response was so incredible to our picnic that a venue for 500 wasn’t enough. Fortunately we were able to find a new venue. In a time of stress we can take the time to keep good company and draw from our collective strength. Many CRONA Nurses and family will be attending! We’ve also invited residents and fellows who are working to unionize under CIR-SEIU.

Devil’s Canyon Brewery

935 Washington St.; San Carlos, CA

Sunday, April 24

noon – 5:00 p.m.

Food and Activities:

• We provide hamburgers, hot dogs, bottled water, soda, chips
• Because we’re now at a brewery, beer is available for purchase
• You are welcome to bring side dishes and desserts
• We are planning kid-friendly activities – this is an all-ages venue
• Picket sign-making area
• CRONA logo items available

We disabled the RSVP because the high number of RSVPs broke it – just show up!

My 2000 Strike Story

It had been a typical busy night in the PICU. I had been at the hospital just over a year and had really settled in into my new unit and routine. As always, the PICU was short-staffed so I had picked up an extra shift. I sat eating my dinner in a quiet place to unwind and relax before heading back out the chaos of a typical PICU shift. My reverie was interrupted by Dawn, a day-shift charge Nurse, coming into the room. I barely knew her but I knew she was involved in the union. I had never worked at a union-represented hospital before, so I knew I was a member but beyond that I did not even know we were in contract negotiations. That would change in an instant.

Dawn strode into the room and walked up to the CRONA board. I watched as she tacked a sign with one word that would change everything: “IMPASSE.” Seeing my puzzled expression, she began to explain what this meant. The break room was quickly filling with Nurses gathered to hear the news Negotiations had become ineffective and CRONA was going out on strike!

In just a few hours, the hospital was crawling with managers. They began collecting keys and telling us to clean out our lockers. Our manager announced that she had been assured our unit would be staffed by non-union temp workers. At 7:00 a.m., we sat waiting for the scabs to come in and take report. We needed a minimum of 12 Nurses, but by 7:30 a.m., only four replacement workers had shown up. The growing panic of our managers was palpable. By 8:00 a.m., the manager was frantically trying to move patients around. Half an hour later, the CRONA president came by and offered to cover the PICU on a shift-to-shift basis since so many patients were uncovered. We gave report and walked out as a group. We would learn later that the same issue had occurred in the NICU.

As we walked out the front doors of the hospital, we were cheered by a huge crowd of off-duty CRONA Nurses who were already walking the picket lines. We picketed for over an hour and eventually went home to sleep, exhausted from our shifts and unsure of what would come next.

I woke up a few hours later to a call from the CRONA president, asking if I would be willing to come in and staff the PICU that night. She assured me that it was with full union approval, so I agreed. The few CRONA nurses in the building checked in with each other as well as with some of the NICU nurses who also had been asked to cover critical patients. I left the next morning and did not return for over 50 days.

I applied at a registry and prepared to begin working on a temporary basis to earn money while we waited for the hospitals to come to their senses. Much to my surprise, there was more work available than I actually needed. Even better yet, I found I was working with many of my same colleagues! We quickly arranged carpools and dubbed the UCSF PICU “LPCH North.” The inability of the hospital to cover the normal patient load meant that the surrounding hospitals were packed with our patients. We provided them with the same quality care, just in a different location.

As the strike went on, we continued to picket and attend informational meetings on an almost daily basis. I formed many lifelong friendships that summer as we stood united in a cause and fight we all thought was worthy. One of the most powerful events of the strike was our candlelight vigil. Over 500 Nurses gathered in front of the fountain — each holding a lit candle — for a moment of silence. It was one of the most powerful and moving experiences I have ever participated in.

After 52 days, the strike finally ended and we returned to work. The strike of 2000 was difficult and it involved sacrifice, but it remains one of the most professionally-affirming events of my life. CRONA Nurses stood united and we stood together for what we knew was right — and it got us the benefits and rights we have today. Looking ahead to the fight we face today, I know CRONA Nurses have the power and the strength to stand up for what Nurses and patients need and deserve. I have walked the line before, and I am ready to do it again!

In Solidarity,

Fred Taleghani

#KnowYourWorth #CRONAStrong

CRONA in the News

(most current articles on top; see previous newsletters for additional articles)

San Jose Mercury News 4/22: “I’m exhausted”: Why Stanford nurses are preparing to strike

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

As Nurses, we value straight talk. The hospitals continue to try to undermine our unity with threats and misleading statements. Let’s be clear.

1. CRONA Is Still Working and Negotiating for Fair Contracts.

As part of KQED radio’s great coverage this morning of Stanford and Packard Nurses’ struggles, CNO Dale Beatty sent in a statement saying that the hospitals hope the Nurses return to the bargaining table. We never left. The last formal proposal on the table is one we made. And CRONA is continuing to work.

1. Even if the Hospitals Ignore the Nearly 30,000 People Who Asked Them to Keep Our Medical Benefits Intact, We Have COBRA Protections.

COBRA provides temporary continuation of your current group health coverage. It also gives you a 60-day period in which to decide whether to elect this continuation coverage.

This means that you do not need to cancel appointments or procedures that you have on calendar. Your health benefits will continue unchanged during the notice period, as if your benefits had not been cancelled.

The hospital is required by law to provide you a packet of information about COBRA coverage that will contain a notice of your right to elect COBRA in a 60-day period.

Before the end of the 60-day period, you will need to decide whether to pay for the continued coverage – and for whom. You can elect to continue the full coverage you currently have, or continue coverage just for yourself, just for your children or spouse, or some combination. If you have had appointments or procedures in this 60-day period, you will need to make the economic choice whether purchasing the COBRA coverage or paying out of pocket is worthwhile. (As discussed in our FAQs, another option is to get basic coverage on Covered California, although if you think that is the best option, you should consider doing that before the end of the 60-day period.)

The hospitals’ threat to terminate medical coverage is appalling, but ultimately federal law – COBRA – provides a mechanism that allows your current benefits to continue uninterrupted if you so choose, and gives you 60 days to decide whether to do so.

In Unity,

Colleen Borges, President

CRONA

Most of us have not been on strike before and could use some advice. In the words of a seasoned nurse, “Stick together, what you do now will bring better contracts for years to come. Be adaptable about working because you don’t know when opportunities will pop up, and make sure you take some time to relax. You’ve earned it.

Additional Tips:

• CHECK YOUR TIMECARD and make any necessary corrections. Packard notified Nurses that they will lose KRONOS access during the strike. You may want to take a screenshot of your timecard so you can verify you were paid correctly.
• EMPTY YOUR LOCKER. You don’t want to return from strike to find that you left something bad-smelling in there. We also don’t know if the replacement nurses will be assigned lockers and we have not been told if lockers will be emptied by the hospital.
• EXCHANGE CONTACT INFORMATION with your coworkers. You will see less of each other during the strike unless you decide to come together to the picket line or meet up outside of work.

You may click the button to sign up for your preferred picketing shifts. It is not a requirement to sign up and you are welcome to join even if the “slots” are filled – the more the better!

These slots are for the Main Hospital SHC/LPCH campus only. There is a separate sign-up for off-sites picketing dates/times, below this section.

We Need You on the Picket Line

Make Your Plan to Picket. There’s no set amount of time you’re required to picket but do plan on spending some time on the picket line. Pick your favorite day and time, make plans to meet your coworkers and check in. Bring your kids! We have sign-ups so we can plan supplies and other logistical aspects of running a picket line and we ask that you sign up for at least one day of the week on the picket line.

Picket Signs: We have signs for you to carry, or you may make your own. Please return signs when you are ready to leave so they may be carried by the Nurse who takes the next shift. Self-made signs should have appropriate slogans, without profanity. Remember, we will be photographed and we want to convey our message clearly.

Strike Lead: There will be at least one person on every picketing shift designated as Strike Lead. Direct your questions and any inquiries from the media to the Strike Lead. This person will be wearing a blue vest to be seen more easily. The Strike Lead must review all self-made signs to ensure they are appropriate.

Do Not Block Access or otherwise misbehave on the picket line. Our presence is an important reminder to the hospitals that they need to come to an agreement with CRONA to end the strike; our purpose is to inform, not block entrances.

COVID protocols: DO NOT come to the picket line if you are symptomatic. Follow all county guidelines for outdoor gatherings. We will have masks available for those who would like to wear one but forgot to bring their own; see the Strike Lead.

Children: Are welcome to come picketing with their parents. Please keep watch over any children you bring to the picket line. Kids are allowed to carry signs – as in photo above. So cute!

Pets: We ask that pets are not brought to the picket line.

Water: We will be outdoors, so staying hydrated is important. We will have a limited supply of bottled water for those who forgot to bring their own bottle.

Sunscreen: We recommend wearing sunscreen as we will be outdoors for 2 or more hours at a time.

Restrooms: Plan your bathroom breaks. We will most likely not be allowed into the hospital to use the restrooms.

CRONA in the News

(most current articles on top; see previous newsletters for additional articles)

KPFA 94.1 FM (audio): Stanford nurses to strike (interview with CRONA VP Kathy Stormberg)

Mother Jones: Stanford Threatens to Cut Health Care for Nurses Who Go on Strike

Nurse.org: Striking Stanford Nurses Will Lose Health Benefits

SF Chronicle: Sutter chain locking out nurses who staged one-day strike

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

We are focusing on specific topics in our newsletters to ensure you have all the information you need and feel prepared for our strike on Monday, April 25. In this issue we address the legal protections of striking workers.

Your Protections as a Striking Worker

We know that striking is a big step and some folks may be worried. But make no mistake about it: All CRONA-represented Nurses have a legally protected right to participate in CRONA’s strike starting Monday, April 25 at 6:45 am at SHC and 7:00 am at LPCH.

The hospitals agree. Their most recent FAQ (dated April 19) says:

21. Do the CRONA-represented employees have the legal right to strike?

Yes. Under federal Law, the represented nurses have the right to strike upon issuing a 10-day notice to the hospitals.

CRONA provided the required 10-day notice on April 13, more than 10 days before the start of our strike on April 25.

This means you will be protected when you participate in the strike.

• All CRONA-represented Nurses have a legally protected right to strike. That includes new hires and Nurses in your probationary period. CRONA will demand that any contract settlement include an amnesty agreement covering the return of all CRONA Nurses, including Nurses who are in their trial period.
• You cannot legally be fired, disciplined, or punished for striking. CRONA will insist that an amnesty agreement covering the return of all CRONA Nurses be part of any contract settlement.

For more information, see our Strike FAQ.

Do not be intimidated! We have a protected legal right to stand together for each other and our patients. We stand together as CRONA Nurses.

Making new history for CRONA Nurses

Most of us have not been on strike before and could use some advice. In the words of a seasoned nurse, “Stick together, what you do now will bring better contracts for years to come. Be adaptable about working because you don’t know when opportunities will pop up, and make sure you take some time to relax. You’ve earned it.

Additional Tips:

• CHECK YOUR TIMECARD and make any necessary corrections. Packard notified Nurses that they will lose KRONOS access during the strike. You may want to take a screenshot of your timecard so you can verify you were paid correctly.
• EMPTY YOUR LOCKER. You don’t want to return from strike to find that you left something bad-smelling in there. We also don’t know if the replacement nurses will be assigned lockers and we have not been told if lockers will be emptied by the hospital.
• EXCHANGE CONTACT INFORMATION with your coworkers. You will see less of each other during the strike unless you decide to come together to the picket line or meet up outside of work.

You may click the button to sign up for your preferred picketing shifts. It is not a requirement to sign up and you are welcome to join even if the “slots” are filled – the more the better!

These slots are for the Main Hospital SHC/LPCH campus only. There is a separate sign-up for off-sites picketing dates/times, below this section.

We Need You on the Picket Line

Make Your Plan to Picket. There’s no set amount of time you’re required to picket but do plan on spending some time on the picket line. Pick your favorite day and time, make plans to meet your coworkers and check in. Bring your kids! We have sign-ups so we can plan supplies and other logistical aspects of running a picket line and we ask that you sign up for at least one day of the week on the picket line.

Picket Signs: We have signs for you to carry, or you may make your own. Please return signs when you are ready to leave so they may be carried by the Nurse who takes the next shift. Self-made signs should have appropriate slogans, without profanity. Remember, we will be photographed and we want to convey our message clearly.

Strike Lead: There will be at least one person on every picketing shift designated as Strike Lead. Direct your questions and any inquiries from the media to the Strike Lead. This person will be wearing a blue vest to be seen more easily. The Strike Lead must review all self-made signs to ensure they are appropriate.

Do Not Block Access or otherwise misbehave on the picket line. Our presence is an important reminder to the hospitals that they need to come to an agreement with CRONA to end the strike; our purpose is to inform, not block entrances.

COVID protocols: DO NOT come to the picket line if you are symptomatic. Follow all county guidelines for outdoor gatherings. We will have masks available for those who would like to wear one but forgot to bring their own; see the Strike Lead.

Children: Are welcome to come picketing with their parents. Please keep watch over any children you bring to the picket line. Kids are allowed to carry signs – as in photo above. So cute!

Pets: We ask that pets are not brought to the picket line.

Water: We will be outdoors, so staying hydrated is important. We will have a limited supply of bottled water for those who forgot to bring their own bottle.

Sunscreen: We recommend wearing sunscreen as we will be outdoors for 2 or more hours at a time.

Restrooms: Plan your bathroom breaks. We will most likely not be allowed into the hospital to use the restrooms.

📣 Dear CRONA Area Representatives,

We’re writing to make sure it is clear that our strike to begins for EVERYONE on Monday, April 25, at 6:45 am at SHC and 7:00 am at LPCH. CRONA’s formal strike notices list those specific times on April 25 as the time when the strike will begin.  To ensure the protection of CRONA’s strike notices, it is important that ALL NURSES walk out at those times – not before and not later. 

Nurses should NOT work in any way after Monday at 6:45 am at SHC or 7:00 am at LPCH. For example, Nurses should NOT plan to work Monday and then walk out Tuesday or later. To maximize our strength and to ensure the maximum legal protections, ALL NURSES should walk out together at the specific time that CRONA has noticed the strike will begin Monday morning.

We know that not all SHC areas start at 6:45 a.m. and not all LPCH areas start at 7:00 a.m. This is the most common start time, however, and as noted above – even for off-site areas and clinics – it is important that you do not continue working past this time.

Q: What if the Resource Nurse on my unit starts at 6:15 (SHC) or 6:30 (LPCH)?

A: Then the Nurse reports to work at the scheduled time, and clocks out at 6:45 (SHC) or 7:00 (LPCH).

Q: My area has some Nurses who start at 5:30; do they still go to work?

A: Yes, go to work at your scheduled start time if it is before the start time of the strike (before 6:45 at Stanford or before 7:00 at Packard). You then do hand off to the person taking your place and clock out at the start time of the strike.

Q: My start time is 6:45 at Stanford; do I go into the hospital to my unit?

A: No. You come to the hospital but you go outside to the picket line. We will give a warm welcome to all the night shift nurses on their way out.

Q: My shift time is 7:00 at Packard; do I go into the hospital to my unit?

A: No. You come to the hospital but you go outside to the picket line. We will give a warm welcome to all the night shift nurses on their way out.

Q: I don’t work on Monday, should I come to the picket line?

A: Yes, please come. We want to have a very large crowd of Nurses and allies.

Please make sure the Nurses on your unit understand this. Please also let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

In unity,

Colleen Borges, President

CRONA

Most of us have not been on strike before and could use some advice. In the words of a seasoned nurse, “Stick together, what you do now will bring better contracts for years to come. Be adaptable about working because you don’t know when opportunities will pop up, and make sure you take some time to relax. You’ve earned it. Set up get-togethers with your work friends on the picket line. And make sure you empty your locker before you start the strike; you don’t want to come back to something that smells terrible.”

We Need You on the Picket Line

Make Your Plan to Picket. There’s no set amount of time you’re required to picket but do plan on spending some time on the picket line. Pick your favorite day and time, make plans to meet your coworkers and check in. Bring your kids! We have sign-ups so we can plan supplies and other logistical aspects of running a picket line and we ask that you sign up for at least one day of the week on the picket line.

Picket Signs: We have signs for you to carry, or you may make your own. Please return signs when you are ready to leave so they may be carried by the Nurse who takes the next shift. Self-made signs should have appropriate slogans, without profanity. Remember, we will be photographed and we want to convey our message clearly.

Strike Lead: There will be at least one person on every picketing shift designated as Strike Lead. Direct your questions and any inquiries from the media to the Strike Lead. This person will be wearing a blue vest to be seen more easily. The Strike Lead must review all self-made signs to ensure they are appropriate.

Do Not Block Access or otherwise misbehave on the picket line. Our presence is an important reminder to the hospitals that they need to come to an agreement with CRONA to end the strike; our purpose is to inform, not block entrances.

COVID protocols: DO NOT come to the picket line if you are symptomatic. Follow all county guidelines for outdoor gatherings. We will have masks available for those who would like to wear one but forgot to bring their own; see the Strike Lead.

Children: Are welcome to come picketing with their parents. Please keep watch over any children you bring to the picket line. Kids are allowed to carry signs – as in photo above. So cute!

Pets: We ask that pets are not brought to the picket line.

Water: We will be outdoors, so staying hydrated is important. We will have a limited supply of bottled water for those who forgot to bring their own bottle.

Sunscreen: We recommend wearing sunscreen as we will be outdoors for 2 or more hours at a time.

Restrooms: Plan your bathroom breaks. We will most likely not be allowed into the hospital to use the restrooms.

CRONA in the News

Los Altos Town Crier: Local nurses prepare to strike amid shortages

Politico: Nurses at top California hospitals prepare to strike

KGO abc7: 5,000 Stanford nurses and families could lose health insurance if they go on planned strike

Stanford Daily: Stanford nurses prepare for first strike in 20 years

Op-Ed, Stanford Daily: OPINION: From the community | A primer on the Stanford budget, part II

The Guardian: ‘Burnt out and tired’: nurses at leading California hospitals prepare to strike

💙💪 Dear CRONA Nurses,

Dear CRONA Nurses,

Thank you to everyone who signed and circulated the petition asking Stanford and Packard CEOs to rescind their cold-hearted decision to terminate our medical benefits on May 1. To be absolutely clear – and say it loudly for those in the C-Suite – there is no requirement that the hospitals take this cruel action.

Given the hospitals’ outrageous behavior, we understand that it is hard to focus on the real work of negotiations. We start this morning’s email with some “straight talk” about the current status of negotiations.

🔵 The last formal negotiation session was Tuesday, April 12. At that session, the hospitals made their first and only move on wages, as part of a package proposal. CRONA countered with a package proposal that also included a move on wages – namely a proposal for across-the-board increases of 7%, 7%, and 6% in Years 1-3. There has been no formal hospital counter to that proposal.

🔵 The parties have been working with a federal mediator, but have been unable to date to reach an agreement through that process.

🔵 On April 13, CRONA gave notice of its intent to strike beginning April 25. CRONA gave more than the required 10-day notice to the hospitals in an effort to allow the hospitals to plan for adequate patient care.

• Side note: CRONA knows that the hospitals began their contingency planning even before our contracts expired on March 31. They should not be unprepared.

🔵 On April 14, managers started telling Nurses in huddles and other small groups that they should be careful because their medical benefits would be terminated on May 1. CRONA objected to these conversations as intimidating and misleading.

🔵 On Friday, April 15 (when many were celebrating religious holidays), the hospitals solidified their plan to “turn off” medical benefits for all striking Nurses on May 1 – and to not turn them back on until June 1. CRONA notified the hospitals that striking Nurses must remain eligible for coverage if they work at all during May. The hospitals did not agree.

🔵 CRONA launched a petition protesting the CEOs’ decision to cancel medical benefits. After we launched the petition, the hospitals communicated that they were “surprised” by the reaction to their statements on benefits. That petition has more than 26,000 supporters.

🔵 The hospitals continue to threaten Nurses with termination of benefits, but have not agreed to CRONA’s proposals on wages, retiree medical, support for understaffed critical care areas, improved mental health support, and more.

What are they waiting for? Are they waiting to see if their bullying tactics work? Are they waiting to see how many travelers they can get? Or do they just want to see how much those additional travelers cost?

This is no way to treat Nurses who have been loyal to the hospitals throughout a pandemic and endured ever-worsening staffing shortages. It is SHAMEFUL.

CRONA has worked hard to try to reach a fair deal that solves – or begins to solve – the issues that make working at the hospitals so difficult right now. We are serious about that task. We ask the hospitals to also take it seriously. There is still time before the strike.

Meanwhile, CRONA Nurses continue to prepare for the strike and celebrate their unity and their commitment to their profession. Please see the information about upcoming events.