Holy Family Hospital President President Craig Jesiolowski.
United Teachers of Lowell President Paul Georges and Rev. Ralph Galen of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Wakefield were among those standing in support of Haverhill nurses last summer. (WHAV News photograph.)
Haverhill nurses receive pay raises, bonuses and a pension plan in an agreement reached last week with Holy Family Hospital-Haverhill.
The three-year agreement between the hospital and 141 members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) also promises reduced out-of-pocket costs for health insurance. It settles a longstanding dispute between nurses and the hospital that went public last summer with some community groups backing the nurses.
“We are pleased to announce this agreement which was ratified overwhelmingly by our valued nurse employees through their union. Holy Family Hospital is pleased to offer exceptional pay, benefits, and education opportunities to all of our employees, including MNA members. This contract will continue and further that tradition,” said Holy Family Hospital President President Craig Jesiolowski.
The new contract includes 3.2 percent pay raises over three years, a 2 percent bonus on wages paid in the last year and a 1 percent bonus on paychecks between November and next April.
“This is a win by and for entire community as the nurses ability to win this settlement was driven by the tremendous support by so many in the community, including the City Council, local legislators, local clergy and labor leaders and thousands of residents who signed a petition in support of the nurses in this dispute,” said David Schildmeier, MNA’s director of public communications. “They understand the valuable role that nurses play in their care and in the success of the hospital and were willing to stand with the nurses,” he told WHAV.
Schildmeier said one goal of the agreement was to reduce turnover among nurses. “The nurses are very pleased with the agreement, as we hope it will stem the loss of staff from the facility and signal a positive change in the environment at the hospital to allow Steward to recruit and retain the staff needed to ensure quality patient care.”
Attention now turns toward nurses working for Holy Family’s Methuen campus, where nurses continue negotiating their own agreement with Steward, Schildmeier added.
Including Holy Family Hospital-Haverhill, Steward said it now has labor agreements in place for all 28 of its bargaining units, including those represented by MNA, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, Teamsters Local 25, IOUE 877, UFSPO and the Area Trades Council.
Unios work