Members of the Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals have approved a new labor contract with Rochester (N.Y.) General Hospital.
The 42-month agreement covers more than 900 RUNAP-represented nurses at RGH, according to a joint news release.
In a statement shared with Becker's, hospital officials said the contract allows RGH "to staff the hospital to best meet the needs of our patients, provides nurses with significant wage increases over the next 42 months and ensures we continue to serve the Rochester community with care, compassion and competence."
Hospital officials added that to ensure its facilities remain competitive within the system and throughout the broader market, Rochester Regional Health is reviewing compensation structure and will develop and implement new wage scales for all health system registered nurses based on years of licensure, the individual nurse's location and their specialty.
"We will be rolling the new scales out across the system in early 2024 and will provide additional details to our employees in the coming months," the officials said.
RUNAP President Carmen Camelio, RN, said in a joint statement earlier this month: "We are proud of our RGH nurses who have stood united … in their commitment to achieve advancements for patient care at our hospital. … We have reached a[n] … agreement that addresses many of the concerns of our nurses. We are looking forward to working together with hospital management to provide the quality care that our community deserves."
Union members approved the contract after 25 bargaining sessions over the past 12 months.
Workers went on strike in August and voted Oct. 11 to authorize another strike. A second strike was averted with the agreement being reached.