Corona RNs Join UNAC/UHCP

February 2013

After a grueling organizing campaign, on February 1 a clear majority of registered nurses at Corona Regional Medical Center voted to join UNAC/UHCP.

Said Diane Arreola, RN at Corona, for years, "Our concerns about patient safety issues have been ignored. This is why, as sworn patient advocates, a strong majority of us decided to seek representation and organize our union with UNAC/UHCP. We realized that when we act collectively, we have a powerful voice and we will be heard!”

Elected officials voiced their support for the registered nurses during this fight. State Senator Richard Roth sent Corona RNs a letter stating "I also fully support the absolute right of all employees to decide whether to join together to bargain over terms and conditions of employment with their employer, free from threats or coercion of any kind." Assemblymember Jose Medina sent the nurses a letter adding, "as an Elected Official representing Riverside County, I stand with you to form a collective voice at Corona Regional Medical Center." Firefighters, local schoolteachers, and Corona City Employees all sent letters of support to the nurses during their fight to organize, as did SEIU 121RN, a local union of registered nurses.

The key issues nurses at the hospital will seek to address are improvements to patient care, RN safety, better working conditions, and dignity, respect, and a voice for all RNs. Members of the organizing committee at Corona said, “we believe Corona Regional Medical Center can provide more for the community if we collectively advocate for both our patients and nurses.”