Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, N.M., and the union representing about 400 of its nurses and technicians have reached a new contract that includes a raise for three years, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
The contract, announced Aug. 31, was ratified by union members Aug. 26 before the previous contract expired.
Under the new agreement, members of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees District 1199NM will receive at least a 2 percent annual raise, union local secretary Lillie Sandoval told the New Mexican. Raises vary depending on position.
The new agreement also includes an increase in health insurance premiums, which will remain in place during the three-year contract.
"We negotiated what are the most important issues," Ms. Sandoval told the New Mexican.
Christus St. Vincent did not discuss details of the contract in a news release to Becker's Hospital Review, but Lillian Montoya, the hospital's president and CEO, said: "Christus St. Vincent has transformed the organization by focusing on [employee] engagement. Whether an [employee] is part of the bargaining unit or not, we clear barriers for 100 percent of our workforce so they can focus on doing their best work in caring for our community. A natural evolution of this commitment has resulted in an improved relationship with both District 1199NM and our workforce in general."