Fountain Valley Regional Hospital Nurses & Professionals WIN!!

“The faith based community of CLUE helped tremendously with reaching this agreement. We really appreciate all the work and support you have provided.”

– Sue Tomol, Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Fountain Valley Regional Hospital

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CLUE is so proud to announce that on Friday, December 2, 2022, 800 of our incredible healers at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital (FVRH) won a life-changing contract that will transform the quality of patient care and working conditions at one of the biggest hospitals in our county!

Nurses are praying that historic improvements now enshrined in their contract will end the exodus of hundreds of experienced, committed nurses, and force hospital executives to put patient care before profits.

“This contract was a culmination of hours of hard work and dedication from NUHW and the members at FVRH,” Sue Tomol, Registered Nurse, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU), Fountain Valley Regional Hospital said. “The faith-based community of CLUE helped tremendously with reaching this agreement. We really appreciate all the work and support you have provided.”

“Mazal tov! Thank you to all the social justice warriors who made this possible, and thank you to CLUE!”

— Rabbi David Young, Congregation B’nai Tzedek, Fountain Valley

Like ministry, health care is a calling and healthcare workers respond with their whole person. I’m so happy and thankful that a positive conclusion was reached that benefits both the workers and the patients. Praise God for the courage of these workers to fight for their rights!

– Rev. Molly Wilkins, Community of Christ, Community Engagement Minister for Peace and Justice for the Pacific Southwest International Mission Center

“The nurses are a blessing to the Fountain Valley community. They deserve to be valued.”

— Chuck Brauer, The Catholic Justice Alliance

We’re grateful for the service of these nurses to the community! We hope this will reinforce their good work and encourage them to do even more!

– Patricia Goodman, Peace & Justice Ministry at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Fountain Valley

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We are so very inspired by the outpouring of support and spirit that accompanied these brave nurses and professionals on their way to this historic victory. Over the last five months faith community signed petitions; visited bargaining sessions; invited nurses to speak to their justice ministries, bible study groups, and as part of their religious services; sent 600 cards of appreciation; and prayed and prayed and prayed.

Many, though not all, of those who supported are listed among the signatures in our faith community letter of support that we delivered to FVRH management in November.

Your support has been a blessing.

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Some contract highlights
via the OC Register
(click here to read the entire article)
“The agreement includes:
—16% to 41% increases in starting wages, based on experience, tenure and position
—Cost of living raises ranging from 11% to 41%, with the average worker receiving a 17% boost over the course of the contract
—Measures to reduce turnover, including the restoration of a longevity bonus and a new pathway for registered nurses to advance to a higher classification with an additional wage increase
—Provisions to address violations of mandated nurse-staffing ratios and ensure enough nurses are on hand to avoid shift cancellations

Under the new contract, the pay rate for a licensed clinical social worker with eight years of experience will jump to $60.94 an hour from $43.52 an hour, a 40% increase over the life of the contract….

A clinical lab scientist with 14 years experience will get a 31.5% increase, rising to $74.37 an hour from $56.56 an hour.

Nurses say understaffing has been a chronic problem at Fountain Valley. They reported missing 31,000 meal breaks last year because shifts were not adequately staffed, union officials said.”