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New Jersey Nurses Approve Strong First Contract
Nearly 400 registered nurses at Kimball Medical Center and St. Barnabas Behavioral Health Center—members of New Jersey Nurses Union/CWA Local 1091—ratified a first contract May 23.
The two-year pact provides a minimum 3 percent raise July 3 and a second 3 percent increase July 2, 2006. It also introduces a new hiring scale that establishes hourly rates for years of RN experience. On July 3, currently employed nurses will receive either the 3 percent increase or the new hiring scale rate, whichever is higher for them as of that date.
"For some of our nurses, this contract could raise wages as much as 9 percent in the first year," said CWA Representative Gladys Finnigan, who bargained the pact along with six representatives of the unit.
The agreement also raises night differential pay to $5 an hour and establishes an educational differential—$1 per hour for a bachelor's degree and $1.50 for a master's degree.
Other provisions include improvements in working conditions, a grievance and arbitration procedure, and just cause for termination.
The agreement was reached after several months of mobilization activities. CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton met with the hospital's CEO to facilitate the final agreement, Finnigan said.
The nurses, about 300 at the medical center in Lakewood and the rest at the health center in Toms River, overcame an aggressive anti-union campaign and won a representation election in May 2004.
"There was a lot of resistance to bargaining," Finnigan said. The first meeting between the parties did not take place until late last September, and the dates for meetings were far between."
Nurses displayed their solidarity by wearing stickers with slogans supporting bargaining and scrubs bearing the union logo, Finnigan said. They signed a pledge not to work overtime after a certain date and registered with temporary agencies to show management they were prepared to strike if necessary. They won support from the community with a campaign for safe staffing levels and conducted lively informational picketing April 23-25. The agreement was concluded April 27.
Also serving on the bargaining committee were nurses Lisa Romano, Loretta DiTocco, Sue Bucino, Teena Bittay, Mary Barbes, Jane Mannion and Kathy Reilly. Local 1091 Labor Representatives Karen May and Dawn Baker also participated in the negotiations.
The two-year pact provides a minimum 3 percent raise July 3 and a second 3 percent increase July 2, 2006. It also introduces a new hiring scale that establishes hourly rates for years of RN experience. On July 3, currently employed nurses will receive either the 3 percent increase or the new hiring scale rate, whichever is higher for them as of that date.
"For some of our nurses, this contract could raise wages as much as 9 percent in the first year," said CWA Representative Gladys Finnigan, who bargained the pact along with six representatives of the unit.
The agreement also raises night differential pay to $5 an hour and establishes an educational differential—$1 per hour for a bachelor's degree and $1.50 for a master's degree.
Other provisions include improvements in working conditions, a grievance and arbitration procedure, and just cause for termination.
The agreement was reached after several months of mobilization activities. CWA District 1 Vice President Chris Shelton met with the hospital's CEO to facilitate the final agreement, Finnigan said.
The nurses, about 300 at the medical center in Lakewood and the rest at the health center in Toms River, overcame an aggressive anti-union campaign and won a representation election in May 2004.
"There was a lot of resistance to bargaining," Finnigan said. The first meeting between the parties did not take place until late last September, and the dates for meetings were far between."
Nurses displayed their solidarity by wearing stickers with slogans supporting bargaining and scrubs bearing the union logo, Finnigan said. They signed a pledge not to work overtime after a certain date and registered with temporary agencies to show management they were prepared to strike if necessary. They won support from the community with a campaign for safe staffing levels and conducted lively informational picketing April 23-25. The agreement was concluded April 27.
Also serving on the bargaining committee were nurses Lisa Romano, Loretta DiTocco, Sue Bucino, Teena Bittay, Mary Barbes, Jane Mannion and Kathy Reilly. Local 1091 Labor Representatives Karen May and Dawn Baker also participated in the negotiations.