Union nurses of Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5089 have approved a new contract with University Hospital in Newark, N.J.
The contract, which covers registered nurses at the facility, includes the following enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios, according to the union:
- Medical-surgical units: 1-to-6 with a commitment to move to 1-to-5 by July 2026
- Pediatrics: 1-to-5
- Mother/baby: 1-to-6 (three couplets)
- ICUs: 1-to-2
The contract also creates a staffing committee with nurses and management to monitor and review hospital compliance with the ratios, according to HPAE Local 5089.
Other provisions cited by the union include a new wage scale and a limit on agency nurses.
University Hospital, the principal teaching hospital for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, shared a statement with Becker's, which said, "This agreement marks significant progress that underscores both parties' commitment to collaboration and alignment on how to address concerns. We are especially proud that this contract, for the first time, was settled just 11 days after expiration. This is, in part, because University Hospital's current staffing model is essentially aligned with the model HPAE has advocated for."
In a news release, HPAE President Debbie White, RN, said the union's efforts supporting staffing ratios in labor contracts must be reinforced at the state level.
"Our safe staffing wins benefit patients because we know that limiting the number of patients a nurse can care for at any given time increases the quality of care," Ms. White said. "And our fight goes beyond the bargaining table and into the Trenton State House, to urge NJ policymakers to pass these same standards into law."
HPAE Local 5094, which represents professional employees at University Hospital, continues to negotiate a new labor deal. Previous contracts for Local 5094 and Local 5089 expired on Sept. 30.