Averting a strike, nurses at Berkeley and Oakland-based Alta Bates Summit voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for an agreement giving them a traditional pension plan and health benefits if they retire before age 65.
The 1,500 nurses had previously authorized a strike against the hospital, citing the crumbling value of 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans, lack of retiree health benefits, low pay and changes to nurse-to-patient ratios. In addition to the pension and health plans, they also won a 21.5 percent raise over the next three years and the right to binding arbitration on staffing issues.
The vote tally on the agreement wasn't available, but officials described it as an "overwhelming" majority for approval.
"Retirement was a crucial issue for RNs in the negotiations," said Charles Idelson, spokesman for the California Nurse's Association, "because most nurses historically have had substandard retirement plans, if any, and historically they have been tied to the stock market. But at this point, having a retirement plan tied to the stock market is the equivalent of having no retirement plan at all. It's like throwing money into a black hole."
Nurses at Sutter Solano Medical Center in Vallejo approved a similar agreement Tuesday, while those at Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley are set to vote on their pact today and Friday.
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