2024 Yearin review
Our union is dedicated to making hospitals safer throughout Southern California—for millions of patients and hundreds of thousands of Nurses and Licensed Medical Professionals. We are equally committed to raising standards throughout our industry, so that we can do our jobs with dignity. In the past year, we have made massive strides toward that goal.
In 2024, we won incredible agreements at six hospitals—putting $60 million more in the pockets of SEIU 121RN members—while improving safety and security for both healthcare workers and patients. We won strong legislation in Sacramento, aimed at reducing the threat of violence healthcare workers face every day. And, we grew our union by more than 300 new members—delivering transformational change to Nurses who never had a voice at work.
Contract fight highlight
Dignity Health
St. John’s Regional Medical Center, St. John’s Hospital Camarillo, and Northridge Hospital Medical Center—Nurses and licensed professionals used their collective voice to deliver real improvements. Hundreds of Dignity members joined back to back pickets, supported by community leaders and elected officials. Nurses sounded the alarm about their patient safety concerns, drawing media coverage and creating a spectacle outside the hospitals. The show-of-force was too much for Dignity Health, and the contract was settled soon after—without the healthcare takeaways that management had been pushing at the table.
March on the Boss
Northidge Medical Center Nurses brought their concerns and petition to hospital management.
No Cuts To Support Staff
Northidge Medical Center Nurses supported CNAs during their picket protesting cuts to support staff postions at NHMC.
Dignity Bargaining Day of Action
All Dignity Nurses and Professionals from Northridge, St. John's Regional, and St. Johns Camarillo came out tothe bargaining table to talk face to face with Dignity management .
Heart Monitor Tech Picket
Dignity St. John Regional Nurses held a rally and picket on May 1, 2024 to protest the loss of critical Heart Monitor Technicians. The loss of support staff at Dignity hospitals became a constant story line for Nurses and Professionals at the bargaining table.
Dignity Picket
All 121RN Dignity Health Nurses and Professionals held a one day picket protesting insufficient staffing and increased workloads. Issues they say impact patient safety and delay of care.
Oxnard City Council
St. John's Nurses and Pros went to Oxnard City Council to voice concern about the loss of critical support technicians. Eventually the Oxnard City Council voted 6-1 on a resolution calling for an end to the practice.
Strong laws we won
ab 2975 – Secure Hospitals for All bill
Our tireless organizing built union power throughout our hospitals, and political power in Sacramento. We led the campaign to pass Assembly Bill 2975—the Secure Hospitals for All bill—which won nearly unanimous support in the state legislature, and was signed into law by Governor Newsom.
The law requires hospitals to install metal detectors at key entrances where weapons can get in—staffed 24/7 by properly trained staff. It also prevents hospitals from assigning Nurses to the dangerous job of searching patients’ bags and seizing weapons—so that we can focus on providing care.
Check out video and news coverage of our press conference and rally for our bill AB2975.
Brittany and Guilermo together at the AB 2975 bill signing with bill author Mike Gipson.
We Grew Our Union
Anahiem Regional Medical Center
We know we’re stronger when every Nurse has the power of a union, and last year we were successful at growing our ranks. Nurses at Anaheim Regional Medical Center filed for their very first union election in July. Just a month later, an overwhelming majority voted YES to be represented by SEIU 121RN. Hundreds of Nurses said YES to better wages, a voice on the job, and quality care. Now, these same Nurses are at the bargaining table, negotiating their first union contract. Emboldened by their new sense of power, the Anaheim RNs came out in force on the picket line in April to make their demands known.
Anaheim Nurses Voting Yes!
GOTV on Vote day for Nurses at ARMC
97% of Nurses Voted YES!
Advocates for patient safety
Patients Can’t Wait: CDPH hold hospitals accountable.
We continued our multi-year campaign for real enforcement of our Nurse-to-patient ratios. Our Union's Secretary-Treasurer, Joyce Powell, was a witness at the Senate Subcommittee hearing on CDPH's failure to hold hospitals accountable for breaking the law. Lawmakers grilled California Department of Public Health representatives on the lack of enforcement and data.
Our action began to see results, we collected more than 3,000 signatures from nurses through our "Patient's Can't Wait" campaign in 2024. Our direct pressure pushed CDPH, through March and June CDPH issues 21 penalties to 6 hospitals and 7 pending, including three 121RN-represented facilities – more than doubling total number of fines issued (but still small fraction of violators).
Highlights from March 2024 CA Senate Budget Subcommittee on Health and Human Services hearing where our Nurses were invited to testify about Nurse to Patient Ratio Enforcement.
New reporting in March 2024 from CalMatters highlighted the link between ‘dangerously inadequate staffing’ and patient harm. Incidents like these underscore the importance of our efforts to ensure safe staffing.
