Members of the Illinois Nurses Association, which represents 500 nurses at Ascension Saint Joseph-Joliet (Ill.), have approved a tentative new labor contract with the nurses' employer.
The union announced the voting results May 21 following three strikes that have occurred at the Joliet facility over the last year.
Of the 81% of union members who voted in the election May 20 and May 21, 77% voted to approve and 23% voted to reject, according to the INA.
A union news release shared with Becker's said the agreement "enshrines that nurses will only work in their areas of expertise." It also includes additional paid time off for the most senior nurses at the hospital and a lump sum payment for all nurses.
"Nurses ratified this contract because Ascension finally agreed to respect our right to turn down unsafe staffing assignments," Pat Meade, RN, a longtime union activist, said in the release. "We won some things that were vital to the functioning of this hospital but there is much more that needs to be improved and we will keep pushing for that."
A spokesperson for St. Louis-based Ascension, the hospital's parent organization, shared the following statement with Becker's: "We are pleased Ascension Saint Joseph - Joliet registered nurses have ratified their new contract. Through listening to their voices, this contract respects the needs of our nurses and creates a solid foundation for appropriately recognizing and supporting our nurses for years to come."
"We thank our nurses for voting to accept this fair and equitable contract and are eager to move forward together as we continue to fulfill our mission of caring for all and improving the health of the communities we are privileged to serve."