CHICO, California — Registered nurses at Enloe Medical Center were on picket duty Wednesday afternoon.
“We’re going to keep fighting for this. We want them to know that we’re here to fight and we’re going to keep being here to fight for them,” said Kelsey Norton, a registered nurse at Enloe Medical Center.
Enloe nurses have been picketing to raise awareness of a variety of issues, including patient safety, challenges in recruiting and retaining staff, the need for improved workers’ compensation protections, and the hospital’s readiness to respond to natural disasters.
“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to require a break policy on every unit on every shift that allows nurses to take the break and breather they deserve so they can recover and then better care for patients,” Norton said.
Enloe nurses are committed to ensuring that the hospital actively seeks and retains experienced and highly qualified nurses who are able to provide guidance and support to younger nurses entering the profession.
Families and community members also showed their support for Enloe employees.
The California Nurses Association and Enloe have been in negotiations to extend their contract since December 2023. The current contract extension was set to expire with the CNA in mid-August.
Enloe Hospital has put forward a proposal for an 8% wage increase over three years. This proposal includes higher wages for employees who work night and weekend shifts, more paid vacation, and capping current health insurance premiums at more than $100 per month. However, Enloe nurses are advocating for a 28% wage increase over the same three-year period.
Mike Wiltermood, President and CEO of Enloe Health, provided a statement to KRCR.
“At Enloe Health, we understand the immense value our nurses bring to our organization and respect their hard work and dedication. Our nurses play a critical role in providing excellent patient care, and we support their right to union representation. After 19 meetings with the California Nurses Association, we remain highly motivated to negotiate a fair contract for our nurses. There are currently four negotiation dates scheduled in September as we actively work toward an agreement.”
The CNA represents a dedicated group of nearly 1,100 nurses at Enloe Medical Center. The nurses are urging the hospital to address these issues in its new contract.
“This allows nurses to have their voices heard and show the community that we are always there for them and that they are our top priority, number one,” Norton concluded.
Enloe is hoping for a fair agreement with his caregivers, and four hearings are scheduled for September.
