by James Parks, May 9, 2011
After nearly a year without a contract and a temporary lockout two months ago, the 1,650 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center ratified a contract in voting over the weekend.
The agreement includes a new staffing plan that will increase the number of nurses at the bedside and a new Professional Practice Committee to address and solve issues dealing with patient care and staffing issues. The agreement also requires hospital managers to meet with the nurse committee on a regular basis and respond to proposals to improve patient care.
Most nurses’ wages will increase by 8.5 percent to 9 percent over three and a half years under the new pact. The deal also restores the differential pay for nurses who work evenings, nights and weekends to pre-March 2011 levels for 30 months of the 42-month agreement.
Emma Bioc, a union bargaining committee member, said:
This was a long and difficult struggle. I am proud that the nurses stood in solidarity with each other and for our patients. This contract respects our professional practice, our expertise and dedication.
The agreement also includes a return to work for eight nurses fired during the back-to-back snow storms in February 2010.
Linda Buckman, a 31-year nurse who was fired after the storm, said:
It is only because we have a strong union that my co-workers and I are able to return to work with dignity and care for our patients.
The nurses at the largest hospital in the nation’s capital—owned by the MedStar Health chain—have been without a contract since June. In October, they voted by a 15-1 margin to join the National Nurses United (NNU). In March hospital management temporarily locked out the nurses.
