Registered nurses at Salem, N.J.-based Memorial Hospital of Salem County have reached a contract agreement with the hospital's next owner, Salem County Hospital Corp., NJ Advance Media reported.
The agreement, approved by members of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5142 on Dec. 13, reportedly comes after eight years of efforts. It includes 3 percent pay increases for nursing staff, as well as the formation of a committee of nurses and hospital management to address staffing issues, according to the union.
Nurses have tried to reach a deal since unionizing in 2010 and were unsuccessful in doing so with Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. In November, for-profit hospital operator CHS agreed to sell Memorial Hospital to Salem County Hospital Corp., a nonprofit that will be run by Bloomfield, N.J.-based Community Healthcare Associates.
The sale is expected to close soon, at which time the one-year labor deal takes effect, according to NJ Advance Media. The future owner plans to rename the hospital Salem Medical Center, to be operated as a nonprofit facility.
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