Guides / University of California RNs (UCSF, UC Davis & all UC)
Education Leave & Tuition — University of California RNs (UCSF, UC Davis & all UC)
What the California Nurses Association (CNA/NNU) agreement (Jul 2022 – Jun 2025) actually says, excerpted from the contract with page citations. Note: A successor agreement (2025–2030) was ratified in Dec 2025; its full text is not yet published. This is the latest published complete contract.
or legal proceedings, authorized emergencies, and some military leaves, as provided in this Article. 2. Cumulative/Concurrent Nature of Leaves of Absence – To the extent that leaves under this provision are for a covered FMLA, CFRA or PDLL purpose, those leaves shall run concurrently with FMLA, CFRA or PDLL as appropriate, and shall not be cumulative. 3. Requests for Leave – Except for FML, requests for leaves of absence including extensions to leaves shall be submitted in writing in accordance with departmental procedures. a. Requests for leaves of absence and extensions to leaves, both in paid and unpaid status - except for leaves covered under FML (see §C.1.d.) shall be submitted sufficiently in advance of the requested leave date to provide the University time to assess the operational impact of granting the request, except as otherwise provided below. b. All requests for leaves of a …
assigned functions of the nurse’s job, with or without reasonable accommodation. c. Extensions of leave - If there is a need to extend the medical leave, a nurse must notify the University in writing in accordance with departmental procedures prior to the expiration of the leave, and must furnish evidence of the continuing disability from the nurse’s health care provider. d. Extensions shall not be granted - A nurse shall not be granted a leave of absence beyond the ending date of the nurse's appointment or predetermined date of separation. 6. Confirmation of Leave Status – Except for FML, the University shall provide the nurse with written approval or denial of a requested leave within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of all required information, including certification. If the University grants the leave, the duration and terms of the leave and the anticipated date of return will be i …
shall not be counted toward a nurse's entitlement of up to four (4) months of Pregnancy Disability Leave, unless the nurse is also on a reduced work schedule or an intermittent leave schedule. When the nurse’s health care provider certifies that the reassignment is no longer medically advisable, the University shall return the nurse to the nurse’s same position or a comparable position in accordance with §D.5., below. 2) If the nurse’s health care provider certifies that reasonable accommodations other than reassignment and/or leave on an intermittent or reduced schedule basis are medically advisable, the University shall engage in the interactive process with the nurse to identify and implement the reasonable accommodation(s) that are appropriate under the circumstances. 2. Childcaring Leave The University shall grant a nurse’s request for a total of up to six (6) months of Childcaring …
1. Extended a. Upon at least thirty (30) calendar days advance written request from the Association and the Nurse, one (1) Association-represented Nurse per campus/Laboratory shall be granted an extended leave of absence to engage in Association business. The Association will reimburse the University for the paid leave in accordance with the provisions of §A.2.b., below. At campuses with more than 1000 bargaining unit Nurses, no more than two (2) Nurses may be granted such a leave. No more than one Nurse per department will be granted such leave at any one time. b. The duration of the extended leave of absence shall be specified at the time the Nurse commences the leave, and no such leave shall be granted unless the written request specifies the duration of the leave. Such leaves of absence shall be for a period of not less than thirty calendar days and no more than three (3) years. 2. P …
If applicable state or federal law requires that the University offer any leave in a manner that is more generous to nurses than is currently provided in this Article, the University will comply with the law. 1. Definition – The provisions of this Section (A.1.a.-g.) are for general descriptive purposes only, and are not subject to the grievance or arbitration provisions of this Agreement. The remainder of the Article is subject to the provisions of Article 27, Grievance Procedure, and Article 28, Arbitration. a. The term Family and Medical Leave (FML) is used when referring to a leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and/or the California Pregnancy Disability Leave Law (PDLL). b. If a nurse who is eligible for FML takes such a leave for their own serious health condition (as defined in §C.1.a., below), the absence from work …
placement of the child. This leave shall run concurrently with Childcaring Leave taken under §D.2., below. Combined Pregnancy Disability Leave (up to 4 months of leave) and Parental Leave (up to 12 workweeks of leave) shall not exceed seven months of leave. b. A nurse shall request Parental Leave sufficiently in advance of the expected birth date of the child or placement of a child for adoption or foster care or as a legal ward or as a stepchild to allow the University to plan for the absence of the nurse. The anticipated date of return from Parental Leave shall be set at the time such leave commences or, if requested in conjunction with Pregnancy Disability Leave, shall be set at the time the Pregnancy Disability Leave Begins. Parental Leave, when taken for acquisition through adoption or as a stepchild, legal ward or foster care, could commence prior to the date of placement. 6. FML a …
b. Eligibility Criteria for Military Caregiver Leave In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements for FML set forth in §C.1.b., a nurse taking Military Caregiver Leave must be a spouse, domestic partner, parent, son, daughter, or next of kin of the covered servicemember. c. Leave Entitlement for Military Caregiver Leave An eligible nurse is entitled to up to 26 workweeks of Military Caregiver Leave during a single 12-month leave period. Leave is applied on a per-covered servicemember, per-injury basis. Eligible nurses may take more than one period of 26 workweeks of leave if the leave is to care for a different covered servicemember or to care for the same service member with a subsequent serious injury or illness, except that no more than 26 workweeks of leave may be taken within any “single 12-month leave period.” If an eligible nurse does not use all of their 26 workweeks of le …
University’s request may, at the discretion of the University, result in either: a) a delay of the leave until the required documentation is provided, or b) if the leave has not begun, it will be denied. If the leave has begun, the leave will not be designated as FML and may be discontinued by the University. f. Use of Paid Leave During FML FML is unpaid unless the nurse uses accrued paid leave (sick leave, vacation leave, or compensatory time) during FML as provided in this Section and or Section F of this Article. All time taken off as FML, whether the nurse is using accrued paid leave or taking unpaid leave, shall be deducted from the nurse’s FML entitlement. 1) A nurse on FML for their own serious health condition shall use accrued sick leave in accordance with the University's disability plan or as provided in Article 22, Work Incurred Injury and Illness Leave, if applicable. Nurses …
Have a specific situation?
Ask a plain-English question and get an answer from this contract with citations — or draft a rebuttal, grievance, or formal email grounded in it.
More University of California RNs (UCSF, UC Davis & all UC) guides
Overtime RulesShift Differentials (Evening & Night Pay)Grievance Procedure & DeadlinesDiscipline & Just CauseWritten Warnings & Your Personnel FileFact-Finding & Investigatory MeetingsRight to Union RepresentationSick LeaveVacation Accrual & SchedulingHolidays & Holiday PaySeniority RightsFloating & ReassignmentStaffing Ratios & Safe StaffingMeal Periods & Rest BreaksLow Census & CancellationOn-Call, Standby & Callback PayPer Diem & Short-Hour NursesCharge Nurse Role & PayPreceptor Duties & RecognitionWork Schedules & PostingLeaves of AbsenceBereavement LeaveJury Duty PayHealth Insurance & BenefitsRetirement & PensionTransfers & Position VacanciesProbationary PeriodLayoff & Reduction in ForceHealth, Safety & Workplace ViolenceWage Steps & Tenure Increases
Educational excerpts from the publicly available agreement — not legal advice; verify against the official printed contract and work with your union representative on any dispute.