Contra Costa Nurses Picket To Protect Care Access Amid Looming Budget Cuts

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — While officials weigh potential budget cuts, local nurses are urging Contra Costa County county leaders to provide written guarantees protecting patient services, nursing jobs, seniority, and benefits.

To drive home their concerns with officials, and help the public understand what's at stake, registered nurses with the Contra Costa Health and Contra Costa Regional Medical Center are holding an "informational" picket tomorrow, Thursday.

The nurses union aid the demonstration will take place from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. outside Contra Costa Regional Medical Center in Martinez.

Union leaders said nurses fear uncertainty over future staffing and services could drive experienced nurses to leave the county, weakening care for patients who depend on the public health system.

According to the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, Contra Costa Health's April budget report warned that funding losses tied to the Trump domestic policy package could require reducing services and cutting staff.

While the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has said it does not intend to sell any service lines or health care facilities, union leaders said nurses want a written agreement ensuring they would retain their jobs, seniority, and benefits if any facilities or services change ownership.

The nurses union said losing experienced nurses would strip the county health system of critical clinical expertise, destabilize patient care, and affect many of Contra Costa County's most vulnerable residents.

"Nurses are working with increased patient loads and often without breaks or lunches to make sure our patients get the best care possible," said Robin Hargrave, a registered nurse with the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, in a statement released by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United.

"We do this because we are committed to our patients and to the mission of Contra Costa Health to care for the most vulnerable in our community," Hargrave said in the statement. "Without the wisdom and expertise of experienced nurses, our entire patient community would suffer."

The nurses union cited county estimates showing the Trump administration's health care funding reductions under Trump's budget could affect as many as 93,000 Contra Costa County residents by 2029.

Union leaders are urging the Board of Supervisors to use the county's rainy day reserve to maintain health services and staffing, noting county records show the reserve exceeds $500 million.

"We need a commitment from our leadership to work with us to protect Contra Costa Health and our patients," Shannon Turner, a nurse practitioner at the Pittsburg Health Center, said in the union's statement.

The California Nurses Association represents more than 1,300 registered nurses working throughout the Contra Costa Health system. According to the nurses union, contract negotiations between the county and registered nurses have continued since July 2025.

Picket Details

Informational picket calling for protections for patient care and nursing jobs, from 2- 4:30 p.m. Thursday, at the Contra Costa Regional Medical Center, 2500 Alhambra Ave., Martinez