GILROY
– Nurses at Saint Louise Regional Hospital ratified a new
contract Tuesday that they have been fighting for since the
beginning of May.
GILROY – Nurses at Saint Louise Regional Hospital ratified a new contract Tuesday that they have been fighting for since the beginning of May.
After months of amicable but firm talks, more than 100 Saint Louis nurses unanimously voted on the new contract, said Corinne Conner, acute care director with the California Nurses Association.
“We believe we came to an agreement that meets the needs of our nurses, the patients and the community,” said Steve Sharre, director of human resources at Saint Louise Hospital.
The nurses – who renew their contracts every two years – wanted to make some changes their contract to compensate for working conditions and the changing economy, Conner said. The CNA has spent the last few months negotiating with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, which runs the hospital, to increase their wages and expand their retirement plan.
In the meantime, the nurses were working under their old contracts terms, Conner said. But they never discussed a strike.
“Usually you do that if you fear your employer is not providing benefits, but the hospital has always been positive about working with the nurses,” she said.
Under the new contract, nurses will earn an increase in wages by 13 percent over the next two years. Four percent increases will take effect immediately and within the next two years should reach the full 13 percent, said Patty Lasky, labor representative for the CNA.
“We are very happy that we reached an acceptable compromise between the nurses and the hospital,” Lasky said.
The new pension plan will increase the amount of retirement money the nurses collect by about 15 percent. This means that a nurse who is making $60,000 at the job now under the new pension plan will get $1,500 monthly in the mail after she retires, Conner said.
The new contract also includes a program for new RNs, which will allow them to get resources and training necessary to be successful in their profession.
“A new graduate does not usually have the hands-on experience they need and this way we are taking the proper intervention,” Lasky said. “This also improves patient care, because they might have to save someone’s life and we needed to make sure they have all the training they need.”
The nurses’ new contract will also be adding one “charge” nurse, who will assist with additional admissions, add relief for breaks and fill in as other patient needs arise, Lasky said.
“Patients in acute care hospitals need more assistance these days due to the changing health care industry and we need that additional staffing,” Lasky said.
