Nurses Reject County Raise Delay

Santa Clara County nurses have rejected a county request to delay scheduled cost-of-living raises that were negotiated after a 2024 strike, setting up a new clash as county officials try to close a budget gap driven by federal funding cuts. The dispute centers on raises in the Registered Nurses Professional Association contract that runs through October 2027. Nurses said the increases were won in writing after last year’s walkout and should not be reopened. County officials are preparing a 2026-27 budget after County Executive James R. Williams proposed a $14.7 billion spending plan on May 1 to address what he called a nearly $800 million starting deficit. ### Which nurses are involved in the dispute? The Registered Nurses Professional Association represents about 4,000 nurses in Santa Clara County hospitals, clinics, jails and other facilities, according to 2024 coverage of the labor dispute and the union contract. The bargaining unit includes nurses across the county health system, including O’Connor Hospital in San Jose. (sanjosespotlight.com) O’Connor Hospital has been a visible site in the labor fight since April 2024, when nurses picketed there during a three-day strike over pay and working conditions. San Jose Spotlight identified O’Connor nurse Danielle Mahabir at that strike and again in recent coverage of the raise-delay fight. ### What raise is the county trying to delay? (sanjosespotlight.com) The county’s own February 2024 bargaining update said it was proposing general wage increases of 3% upon ratification, 3.5% in the second year and 4% in the third year. The final labor agreement took effect June 24, 2024 and runs through October 24, 2027. San Jose Spotlight reported on May 20 that county leaders, facing the budget shortfall, asked nurses to delay the cost-of-living increase they had won in that contract. (sanjosespotlight.com) Nurses said no. The outlet reported the dispute affects nurses at O’Connor Hospital and other county facilities. ### Why is Santa Clara County trying to reopen the issue now? James Williams said in the county’s May 1 budget release that the recommended budget confronts “unprecedented federal funding reductions” and a starting deficit of nearly $800 million that could grow to more than $1 billion next year. (files.santaclaracounty.gov) The county said the shortfall is being driven primarily by federal losses in healthcare and food-assistance revenue, slower property-tax growth and rising operating costs. (sanjosespotlight.com) Local News Matters, citing the same budget proposal, reported that county leaders recommended a net reduction of 464 jobs across safety-net programs. KQED reported the county expects more than $1 billion in annual revenue losses in coming years from federal Medicaid and food-assistance cuts. ### What are nurses saying about staffing and layoffs? (news.santaclaracounty.gov) Nurses have tied the raise fight to staffing levels for months. San Jose Spotlight reported in December that nurses warned furloughs and shortages were delaying patient care across Regional Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, O’Connor Hospital and St. Louise Regional Hospital. The union’s position, as described in recent coverage, is that the raises are legally guaranteed under the contract and needed to retain staff in an already strained system. (localnewsmatters.org) That argument comes after a 2024 labor fight in which nurses said county pay lagged other hospitals and contributed to vacancies. ### How did the 2024 strike shape this fight? More than 88% of the union’s members voted in May 2024 to ratify a tentative four-year agreement after months of bargaining and a three-day strike, according to Local News Matters. (sanjosespotlight.com) The deal then went to the Board of Supervisors for final approval. The strike followed a contract expiration in late 2023 and a prolonged dispute over wages, staffing and safety. (sanjosespotlight.com) During bargaining, the county publicly outlined a multi-year wage proposal, while nurses argued county compensation was falling behind other major hospitals in Santa Clara County. ### What happens next at the county level? The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is now considering the 2026-27 budget built around Williams’ May 1 recommendation. (localnewsmatters.org) The county said Measure A, a sales tax approved by voters in November 2025, is expected to generate about $337 million annually and has been allocated to support Santa Clara Valley Healthcare and offset Medi-Cal funding reductions. (sanjosespotlight.com) Any further action on labor costs, layoffs or service reductions will play out through the county budget process and any negotiations with the Registered Nurses Professional Association under the contract that runs through October 2027. (files.santaclaracounty.gov) (news.santaclaracounty.gov)