Record contract at Henry Heywood Hospital

The RNs at Henry Heywood Hospital in Gardner recently approved a contract that brings over $100,000 a year in base salary to senior nurses. This is the first time in the northern Worcester county area that a nursing pay scale has broken the century mark.

According to RN Bob King, co-chair of the hospital’s MNA bargaining unit, the settlement came at the end of a process that was much easier than the last time around. “For our last contract we settled for a one-year deal with a modest increase, and didn’t get it done until the year was almost over,” explained King. “We decided that we would concentrate on this year’s negotiations.”

Going into this year’s negotiations the union proposed a multiple-year deal with a large pay increase. The goal was to make Heywood competitive with other hospitals in the area. “On the first day of negotiations it was clear that management had come to the table ready to deal. We were able to complete the process in just six meetings. We feel that our contract is not only competitive but sets the standard in the area,” said King.

The deal, which runs through the end of 2007, raises the top salary to $48.42 an hour. Management also agreed to add four new steps at the top of the scale, making the contract very beneficial to senior nurses who are committed to staying at Heywood.

In addition to the 26.5 percent increase for the senior nurses, the new contract also calls for increases in shift differentials and on-call payments, and also establishes an earned time system that allows nurses to buy back a week of surplus time each year.