Sharp Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement After Historic Strike

After months of tense negotiations and a high-profile Thanksgiving week strike, nearly 5,800 registered nurses and healthcare professionals at Sharp HealthCare have reached a tentative agreement, according to a joint announcement from UNAC/UHCP and Sharp HealthCare.

The agreement brings an end to a seven-month labor campaign that spotlighted concerns over unsafe staffing, below-market wages, and punitive sick leave policies, issues nurses said were putting both patient care and frontline workers at risk.

What began as a strike authorization ultimately escalated into one of San Diego’s largest healthcare strikes in decades, culminating in a three-day walkout over Thanksgiving. Union leaders say the pressure forced meaningful movement at the bargaining table.

What the Tentative Agreement Includes

According to UNAC/UHCP, the tentative agreement focuses on retaining and attracting registered nurses while improving patient care conditions across Sharp facilities.

Key wins include:

• Solid wage increases designed to keep Sharp competitive in San Diego’s high-cost labor market
• Strengthened sick pay protections, allowing nurses to care for patients without risking discipline when ill
• Preservation of existing retirement benefits for nurses who dedicate years of service to Sharp

Union leaders emphasized that the agreement addresses the same core issues nurses had raised throughout the campaign.

“This tentative agreement is a big win not just for Sharp registered nurses but for Sharp’s patients and the San Diego community,” said Andrea Muir, RN, president of the UNAC/UHCP affiliate at Sharp and a member of the bargaining team.

“We addressed outstanding sick leave, wage, and retirement issues in a manner that benefits both patients and nurses. We would never have gotten this far without the solidarity and hard work of Sharp RNs, who stood strong together and would not give up.”

A Seven-Month Campaign That Put Patient Care Front and Center

The agreement follows a months-long effort by Sharp nurses that included:

• A one-day informational picket
• A three-day strike over Thanksgiving week
• Sustained public messaging focused on patient safety, staffing, and fairness

Throughout the campaign, nurses repeatedly emphasized they were “walking out for patients, not walking away from them.”

The strike drew widespread attention due to its timing during one of the busiest hospital weeks of the year and underscored broader staffing challenges facing healthcare systems nationwide.

Why This Matters for the Nursing Profession as a Whole

The Sharp HealthCare tentative agreement reflects a much larger shift happening across the nursing profession nationwide. As hospitals continue to grapple with staffing shortages, burnout, and retention crises, nurses are increasingly organizing around core issues that directly impact patient safety: safe staffing levels, fair compensation, and policies that allow nurses to be human, like staying home when sick without fear of discipline.

This seven-month campaign shows that sustained collective action can move large healthcare systems, even in high-cost, competitive labor markets. It also reinforces a message nurses across the country have been repeating for years: working conditions are patient care conditions.

The visibility of the Sharp strike—especially its timing over Thanksgiving—signals to hospital executives, policymakers, and the public that nurses are no longer willing to absorb systemic failures in silence. For nurses everywhere, the agreement serves as both validation and precedent: advocacy works, solidarity matters, and patient-centered care starts with supporting the nurses at the bedside.

What Happens Next?

The UNAC/UHCP and Sharp Professional Nurses Network (SPNN) bargaining team will share full contract details with members in the coming days. A ratification vote is expected soon, which will determine whether the tentative agreement becomes final.

Until then, union leaders say nurses remain focused on the same goals that fueled the campaign:

• Protecting patient care
• Retaining experienced bedside nurses
• Ensuring safe, sustainable working conditions
• Securing fair and competitive compensation

After months on the picket line and at the bargaining table, Sharp nurses say the tentative agreement represents meaningful progress—for caregivers and the patients who rely on them every day.

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