Caritas Carney Hospital settles contract after 21 negotiation sessions

The registered nurses at Caritas Carney Hospital in Dorchester recently ratified a new three-year contract that includes wage increase, successorship language and landmark language specific to health and safety.

It took the nurses 21 negotiation sessions—the last three of which were held before a federal mediator—to reach a settlement on July 19. But according to the Carney union’s chairperson, Jane Connelly, the months spent at the negotiating table were well worth it.

“The MNA membership at Carney was very concerned about several key issues at the start of these negotiations,” explained Connelly, “including the dramatic disparity between wage rates at Carney and wages paid to RNs at other Boston-area hospitals and the high cost of health insurance. This new contract addresses those concerns and our membership is very happy with the overall results.”

Highlights of the new three-year contract include:

Wages

• Nurses at the top of the scale will receive a fully-retroactive increase of more than 28 percent over the life of the contract.
• Top wages for staff nurses will be $53.13 by May 1, 2008.
• In the first year of the contract, the wage scales were adjusted so that each step is 5 percent more than the one before it.
• The waiting periods between the steps were eliminated, allowing for nurses who are not yet at the top of the scale to get there faster.
• During the second and third years of the contract, there will be across-the-board raises totalling 13 percent and a new 5 percent step added to the top of the scale.

Successorship

• The contract includes new language that protects the contract if the hospital is sold or merged with another institution.

Health and safety

• New language specific to health and safety/workplace violence was also added to the contract. It requires the hospital to work to prevent workplace violence and investigate all such incidents.
• The hospital will also advise the nurses of the outcomes of all such investigations and will provide medical and psychological services if needed at no cost to the nurse.
• The hospital will pay the nurse for the first five days of absence due to a workplace injury caused by workplace violence without loss of sick time if the absence is recommended by Employee Health.
• If a nurse is injured and away from work due to a workplace injury, medical insurance will be continued for six months, (up from 90 days).

New per diem program

• All per diems will be in the union and will be paid on scale with annual step raises. Those who make a bigger commitment to the hospital will be paid a 5 percent differential.

Health insurance

• The hospital and union agreed to maintain favorable contract language regarding percentages of premiums paid by nurses for plans.

In addition the rotation language was also improved and differentials were increased. The contract was ratified on Aug. 7.