NJ Nurses, Hospital Reach Agreement On Future Staffing

MOUNT HOLLY, NJ — Hundreds of nurses in South Jersey reached a labor agreement with Virtua Health on Friday after postponing their scheduled strike at Virtua Mount Holly Hospital.

The new three-year contract comes after months of negotiating for "Enforceable Safe Staffing" ratios to help alleviate the "burned out and stressed" feeling experienced by many of the nurses.

According to the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) union, they have achieved the "strongest enforceable staffing language ever achieved in an HPAE contract."

The new agreement also includes an improvement in wages and upgrades to workplace violence prevention procedures.

"Research shows that without nurse-to-patient ratios, nurses are distracted, overwhelmed, and stressed," HPAE President Debbie White, RN, said. "Patients come to hospitals for 24-hour nursing care, and they deserve nurses who are available to meet their needs."

Virtua has resisted the mandates under an environment of nationwide staffing shortages, the need for greater operational flexibility, and financial challenges associated with meeting these system-wide requirements.

Healthcare systems, like Virtua, also like to allocate staff dynamically based on patient needs rather than being held to legal ratios.

"We are pleased to share that Virtua Mount Holly and HPAE have reached a tentative agreement," Chrisie Scott, Virtua Health Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said. "We hope union members will ratify the contract, which will continue to support excellent care for patients while providing nurses with competitive wages and benefits in a safe and supportive work environment."

The full details of the agreement will be available to union members on Tuesday, with a vote on whether to ratify the contract also coming this week.

Virtua Health is based in Marlton and operates five hospitals, two satellite emergency departments, 42 ambulatory surgery centers, and more than 400 other sites.

The HPAE and its bargaining team represent more than 15,000 nurses and other healthcare professionals in the state of New Jersey.

RELATED COVERAGE:

1. NJ Nurses Delay Strike Amidst Ongoing Negotiations With Health System
2. Nurses Authorize Strike At Hospitals In NJ
3. Hundreds Of Nurses Will Strike In South Jersey

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