Health Care Workers Ratify New Contracts With USC Arcadia Hospital

LOS ANGELES, CA — Registered nurses and health care workers at USC Arcadia Hospital in Arcadia have voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying their respective three-year contracts, after securing protections to "improve patient safety and nurse and health care worker retention," union officials announced Tuesday.

The new pact covers the period from Nov. 5, 2026 to June 30, 2029. Voting took place Nov. 5-6, according to California Nurses Association/National Nurses United and Caregivers and the Healthcare Employees Union.

"Caring for our patients is at the heart of what we do," said Shannon Vandelac, an RN in the critical care unit. "This contract victory is a huge step in continuing to provide excellent patient care that our community deserves."

According to the unions, the new contracts include the following highlights:

• Safe staffing improvements, including more resource nurses, and giving bedside nurses a voice in implementation.
• Workplace violence prevention language that expands the protections for bedside nurses.
• New certification pay language for education so nurses can continue expanding their knowledge and skills.
• Economic gains to help retain and recruit experienced nurses. The agreement includes an average of 15.84% wage increase over the life of the contract and five additional steps to the wage grid.

Attempts to reach USC Arcadia Hospital for comment were not immediately successful.

The CNA represents more than 780 nurses at USC Arcadia Hospital and CHEU represents 740 ancillary health care workers at the facility, according to the unions.

City News Service