After months of tense negotiations as well as the possibility of a strike, nurses and health care workers at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital voted Thursday evening to OK a new, three-year contract with their employer Brown University Health.
From 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, members of United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5098 —w hich represents roughly 2,500 nurses, case managers and technical and support staff at the two hospitals — voted to ratify the agreement.
“After a difficult series of negotiations, we are pleased to have reached an agreement that provides our members with a better contract,” Frank Sims, a registered nurse and president of Local 5098, said in a statement Thursday night.
The parties began to discuss a new contract in January, and talks stretched to 30 sessions in all. The previous contract expired on March 31.
Sims said the new deal includes wage increases, a lump-sum bonus, enhanced job security, and stronger rules around employee safety and workplace violence. He added that the union was “pleased” to approve the agreement after having rejected Brown Health’s “last, best, and final” offer when it arrived on June 6.
“While this contract agreement is a step in the right direction, the future of health care in Rhode Island remains uncertain,” Sim said. “Our union will continue fighting every day to ensure the hard working nurses and health professionals at Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital are protected and treated fairly, so we can retain and attract qualified nurses and health care professionals to care for our patients.”
The union voted to authorize a strike on June 23. But the strike never materialized, and the two parties forged a memorandum of understanding on July 3. That cleared the way for the successful ratification vote on Thursday.
The hospital was also “pleased” with the deal, according to a statement issued Thursday night, about an hour and a half after the union released their own.
“This outcome reflects the dedication and hard work of both bargaining teams and reaffirms our shared commitment to supporting our caregivers, advancing patient care, and strengthening our hospital for the communities we serve,” wrote Sarah Frost, chief of hospital operations and president at Rhode Island and Hasbro.
The hospital said Thursday it offered a market-competitive proposal that includes cost-of-living adjustments and competitive benefits plus other perks, for a package totaling $50 million over three years.
The new contract will expire on March 31, 2028.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
