PORT JEFFERSON, NY — The New York State Nursing Association's collective bargaining unit at Good Samaritan University Hospital / St. Charles Campus "overwhelmingly" ratified their three-year labor contract on Friday, union officials said.
The voting closed at 7 p.m., with 91 percent approving the new deal. The nurses reached a tentative contract agreement late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, averting a strike that was set to begin on Monday.
In a statement to Patch, hospital management said, the union's members voted to ratify a new labor contract, covering nurses, "that reflects our shared commitment to investing in our nurses, supporting the exceptional care they provide, and continuing to deliver excellent patient care."
"We believe this agreement is fair to both parties and positions us well for the future," they added.
Management thanked all of the nurses who participated in the union’s ratification process.
"Nurses are an essential part of the St. Charles care team, and we are deeply grateful for all they do every day," they said. "Their skill, compassion, professionalism, and dedication make a meaningful difference for the patients and families who rely on us."
"We appreciate their continued commitment and remain focused on supporting their important work," they concluded.
Highlights of the three-year tentative agreement include improved enforceable safe staffing standards, including hiring more nurses, creating a float pool of nurses to maintain safe staffing levels, and a new expedited staffing enforcement process.
It also includes new workplace violence protections, including enhanced security rounding and personal panic buttons, and new protections against discipline for the use of sick time.
The contract contains new safeguards on artificial intelligence, including provisions to protect the nurses' clinical judgement and requirements to provide notice and discussion when implementing new technology or AI.
It also has annual base wage increases of 4 percent, 3 percent, and 4 percent over the three-year contract, additional wage increases to help recruit, train, and retain experienced nurses, and increases to retiree health benefits.
The strike was set to begin on July 13.
The union's members will vote on the contract on Friday.
More details on the tentative agreement will be released following the expected ratification of the contract, the union said.
Dozens of nurses marched to St. Charles Hospital President James O’Connor’s office last week to notify him that they will strike unless management negotiated a fair contract that delivers safe staffing and fair wages, according to union officials.
More than 99 percent of nurses voted to authorize a strike, after nurses bargained for months with "enforceable safe staffing has been the key sticking point in negotiations," the union said.
In May, nurses compiled 244 unresolved staffing complaint, which is the most complaints of any month in the 18 months since the state began its investigation, the nurses' union said.
President of union’s local bargaining unit and intensive care nurse Rob Barone congratulated his colleagues "for the countless hours you spent fighting for a fair contract that will deliver the safe staffing our nurses and patients need."
"This vote shows that nurses are excited about what we were able to achieve and committed to move forward to make St. Charles an incredible resource for this community — now and into the future," he said.
Negotiating committee member Kim Bowman said, “When we fight, we win!"
"Nurses’ main priority was safe staffing, and this contract will deliver concrete and enforceable improvements to staffing at St. Charles," Bowman said. "We are also proud to have won a pay increase that will help us recruit and retain nurses to maintain safe staffing, and new workplace violence protections.”
Nancy Hagans said, the union is proud of St. Charles nurses "for advocating so strongly for their patients and community."
"This great contract sets a high standard for other Catholic Health hospitals to follow," she said. "The entire union is committed to securing great new contracts at St. Joseph’s and St. Catherine’s, and we intend to continue the fight for fair contracts on Long Island.”
St. Charles merged with Catholic Health / Good Samaritan University Hospital on July 1 and is now known as Good Samaritan University Hospital / St. Charles Campus.
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