Nurse Strike At Newark Hospital Ends With New Contract, Wage Hike

NEWARK, NJ — After 31 days, the strike at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark is over.

In May, members of JNESO District Council 1 IUOE-AFL-CIO – a labor union that represents nearly 350 nurses and hospital techs at Saint Michael's – launched a strike to demand better pay, benefits and staffing conditions. Negotiations for a new three-year contract started on March 28; the workers’ contract expired on May 4.

The hospital remained open and fully operational, administrators said. Read More: Hundreds Of Nurses, Techs At Newark Hospital Go On Strike

The work stoppage ended on Wednesday night when JNESO members voted to accept a new, three-year contract proposal, union spokespeople said. The striking employees will be returning to the job “as soon as this weekend,” if hospital scheduling allows.

It was only the second time since the union was established in 1979 at St. Michael’s that a strike was held. That strike, held in 1984, lasted two weeks.

According to JNESO spokespeople, some of the key issues that cropped up during the current round of negotiations were:

• “Hospital refusal to review or address comprehensive health/safety practices and procedures plan provided by JNESO”
• “Ongoing staff shortage including more than 50 open positions in critical areas such as ER, respiratory therapy and radiology”
• “Removal of the Float Block guidelines currently in place to a ‘go anywhere we need you or go home’ position putting patients at risk, particularly without proper training.”
• “Removal of the ‘steps’ formula in place for 42 years to account for incremental raises by seniority regardless of wage packages that change contractually”
• “Extremely limited access to specialty care for the employees. Offering NO out-of-network provisos for health care and limited access to specialty care facilities or physicians.”

HOSPITAL: ‘FAIR WAGES, SAFE WORKING CONDITIONS’

A spokesperson for Saint Michael’s said the new contract “provides fair wages, guarantees safe working conditions and offers expanded health benefits.”

“We are thrilled that the rank-and-file members of the union approved what we believe is a fair contract proposal,” CEO Alan Sickles said. “While it’s unfortunate that we could not have negotiated this agreement without a strike, we are looking forward to having our nurses and medical staff return to their jobs.”

“It was important for us to remain open and fully functional during the strike because we provide a vital service to our community,” Sickles said. “Throughout the strike, our patients continued to receive the high-quality, safe health care that the community has come to expect from us.”

Saint Michael's, a member of Prime Healthcare, recently received an "A" grade in safety for spring 2022 from the nonprofit watchdog Leapfrog Group. It was the only hospital in Newark – and the only one in Essex County – to receive an "A" from Leapfrog during this period.

• See related article: New Jersey Hospital Safety Grades 2022: The Best And Worst

NEW CONTRACT: WAGE HIKE, HEALTH CARE, STAFFING

According to a statement from JNESO, the new contract will be retroactive to May 4. Some details include:

Wages

• A 3% increase each year of the contract for all full and part-time JNESO nurses and techs
• “Step” increases which are given each year for service were kept intact
• Differential pay was increased for weekend shifts
• Pension benefit contributions were maintained and increased slightly

Health Care Benefits

• A new plan option in the Blue Cross Blue Shield network will be provided
• Members can select the doctor of their choice without referrals
• All health care premiums will be frozen for three years

Staffing

• Float Blocks have been maintained - nurses will float only to areas for which they have training/practice competence
• No “Flexing” - members can’t be sent home in the middle of a shift
• Safe staffing ratios will follow the current statute in NJ for hospital licensure standards

Safety

• All federal or state-mandated OSHA, CDC, PPE and other requirement protocols regarding health and safety will be followed.
• Cameras will be installed in the parking lot for improved staff safety
• Training funds were maintained

“This was a long, hard fight over really important patient care and employee care, and safety issues,” said Virginia Treacy, a senior negotiator with JNESO.

“While we didn’t get everything we wanted, our members feel that their voices have been heard and we got enough for them to be comfortable going back to work and getting the hospital back on its feet,” Treacy said.

JNESO President Elfrieda Johnson said the union’s members “feel truly empowered” by the experience.

“They really came together as a family and realized that when they stick together, they can achieve almost anything,” Johnson said.

JNESO represents nearly 5,000 nurses and technologists across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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