RWJ New Brunswick NJ nurses officially agree to new contract
Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick have ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.
“We are pleased with the outcome of today’s vote and look forward to welcoming our nurses back home,” hospital president Alan Lee said in a statement late Friday afternoon.
The statement was not clear when the nurses would be returning to work.
The new contract, Lee said, outlines staffing standards and offers a “collaborative” process for nurses and hospital administrators to address staffing issues and other concerns.
The contract, Lee continued, provides compensation “that reflects the value of the role of the RWJUH nurse on the care team.”
“RWJUH nurses do incredible work each and every day to heal, treat and assist our patients. They do it with passion and heart and deserve everyone’s support, respect and appreciation. Their value to this hospital, to our patients and to the community is profound,” Lee’s statement continued. “We are excited and eager to welcome our nurses back home to their colleagues and their patients, and to continue our important work in improving the health of our patients and community.”
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing the hospital’s more than 1,700 nurses, reached a tentative contract agreement on a new contract Dec. 1, nearly four months into a work stoppage,
The nurses have been on strike since Aug. 4, citing issues such as safe staffing levels related to patient-to-nurse ratios and removing any penalties for nurses who call out sick as the key issues to walking off the job.
The deal raises wages, caps insurance costs and provides safe staffing ratios for the nurses, according to a press release from USW 4‐200.
During the strike, the hospital had paid more than $120 million for replacement nurses with the highest levels of certification and experience in acute care and specialized clinical areas, according to the hospital’s community webpage.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
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