Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association have approved a new contract with Milford (Mass.) Regional Medical Center that includes raises.
The contract covers more than 500 registered nurses of Milford Regional, according to a news release. Union members approved the agreement Nov. 16. It is their first contract after unionizing in 2021.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association said the contract will raise nurses' pay each year via a wage step scale, which features 4 percent between each step. Nurses' placement on the scale will depend on their experience level and retroactive pay to April 3.
According to the union, other features of the contract include:
- A total of 8.5 percent across-the-board raises for each nurse over the next two years.
- An agreement that charge nurses, who oversee patient assignments among other staff on a unit, won't have a patient assignment or have a reduced patient assignment on inpatient units.
- Overtime that takes effect when nurses work more than 40 hours in a week.
- A grievance and arbitration process.
"Our MNA contract will immediately benefit nurses and patients and will make a positive impact in our community for years to come," Sara Burton, a nurse and co-chair of the MNA bargaining committee, said in a news release. "Milford Regional Medical Center nurses are amazing caregivers and have shown that working together gives us strength to overcome a global pandemic or any challenge thrown our way. This contract values our dedication to patient care and will help us provide the conditions to recruit and retain the nurses we need."
Judy Kelly, BSN, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer of Milford Regional, also praised the agreement.
"The agreement reflects Milford Regional's overall priorities that include retaining and recruiting top talent; providing market competitive wages and benefits; reinforcing our focus on quality care; and strengthening our attraction as a workplace of choice," she said in a statement shared with Becker's.
"We appreciation the work of all of the participants in the negotiation process, who were consistently professional, collaborative, and mutually committed to reaching a fair, sustainable agreement."