UPDATED: Backus Hospital nurses ratify new, four-year contract
Norwich — Registered nurses at Backus Hospital voted nearly unanimously Wednesday night to approve a contract settlement with the Hartford HealthCare-owned facility, the nurses’ union announced today.
The four-year agreement, which came on the heels of a two-day strike last week, had been tentatively reached on Saturday following a 12-hour negotiating session. It improves personal protective equipment policies and empowers nurses to address staffing issues, according to the 415-member union, the Backus Federation of Nurses, AFT Connecticut Local 5149.
The pact also resolves long-standing recruitment and retention concerns by "making significant economic investments in the workforce," meaning pay increases, the union said in a news release.
"The overwhelming support in favor of this agreement proves what we've all seen throughout this pandemic: nurses united can never be divided," said Sherri Dayton, the union’s president. "The road to get here has not been easy, and we're grateful to our patients and the entire region for having our backs every step of the way. Now we can focus on what we do best — delivering the great quality care all of our patients deserve," said Dayton, a registered nurse who works in the Backus emergency department.
The agreement, effective immediately, also provides rooms for breastfeeding mothers, decreases employees' insurance premiums and retains nurses' rights to daily overtime pay.
"We are pleased that our nurses have voted in favor of a new four-year contract," Donna Handley, the Backus president, said in a statement. "Together we and the nurses’ union reached a fair and reasonable agreement that will allow us to retain and attract the best nurses. We are eager to move ahead, and work together to continue providing safe, quality care for our community."
The union's previous contract, which originally expired Dec. 31, had been extended to Sept. 1.
Negotiations regarding a new contract, delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, began in June and eventually stalled, prompting the union’s membership to vote Sept. 13 to authorize a two-day “unfair labor practice” strike. On Oct. 2, the union’s bargaining committee gave management notice of its intention to strike last Tuesday.
During the 48-hour strike, Backus, a 213-bed facility, operated with nurses from around the state under a contingency plan approved by the state Department of Public Health.
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