A major strike planned by University of California nurses for Monday and Tuesday has been called off after union leaders reached a tentative four-year contract agreement with the UC system. The announcement, made Sunday, covers roughly 25,000 registered nurses working across 19 UC medical facilities.
The California Nurses Association (CNA) and UC had been negotiating since June, pushing for improved staffing levels, stronger patient protections and better support for nurses who have faced years of shortages and high patient loads.
Union negotiator Kristan Delmarty, a nurse at UCLA Santa Monica, said the agreement delivers the resources nurses need to safely care for patients. She noted that members will vote on the agreement this week.
The strike was originally planned in solidarity with AFSCME 3299, the union representing custodial staff, patient care technicians, food service workers and other essential campus employees. While nurses will not strike, many CNA members still plan to join AFSCME picket lines during off-hours.
UC officials welcomed the deal. Missy Matella, associate vice president for systemwide employee and labor relations, called the agreement “a strong, forward-looking deal” that supports both patient care and UC’s public mission.
The tentative contract comes just over a week after UC reached a separate agreement with University Professional and Technical Employees (UPTE), representing 21,000 healthcare, technical and research staff.
However, AFSCME 3299 announced Sunday that its strike will still proceed, sharing videos of workers preparing signs and calling for solidarity.
