KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Ascension Borgess nurses accepted a new contract on Wednesday, and it's one nurses hope will represent "a new chapter" at the Kalamazoo hospital.
The new contract comes at the end of a bargaining process, as nurses negotiated with administrators for improvements to the previous contract, which expired on November 11.
Before the contract was ratified, over 86% of nurses passed a resolution authorizing a strike.
A spokesperson for Michigan Nurses Association confirmed that a strike has now been averted.
READ MORE: Ascension Borgess nurses vote to authorize strike
“This new contract clearly shows the difference that nurses can make when we are united together as a union,” said Lori Batzloff, a nurse at the hospital and the president of the local bargaining unit of the MNA at the hospital. “We were able to win improvements that will benefit our patients and community as a whole.”
The new contract includes benefits such as:
- Average raises of 20.5% in year one of the contract, creating a new wage scale ranging from $33.44 to $48.72.
- An additional emergency personal day for all RNs to help address the work/life balance challenges many nurses face and help improve retention.
- Increasing shift differentials for evening and night shift nurses by $1/hr – a 100% increase for evening nurses, as well as increasing on-call pay to $5/hr to help address staffing concerns
Over 300 nurses at the Kalamazoo hospital are covered by the new contract.
"We hope that this contract will mark the beginning of a new chapter at our hospital and for our patients," said Doris Goodrich, another Ascenssion Borgess nurse and member of the bargaining team. "WE hope that this contract will mark the beginning of a new chapter at our hospital and for our patients."
SEE ALSO: Ascension Borgess nurse reflects on what led up to possible strike
