Licensed practical nurses at Pittsfield, Mass.-based Berkshire Medical Center have reached a contract agreement with management, according to The Berkshire Eagle.
The three-year contract covers LPNs represented by the Service Employees International Union 1199. It includes a 6 percent pay increase over the first two years of the contract, as well as a "wage reopener clause" for the third year, which would allow further discussions between both sides on the issue, according to the report.
The contract, which also includes higher pay differentials for certain LPNs, runs through the end of 2020 and was reached after two bargaining sessions, BMC spokesperson Michael Leary told The Berkshire Eagle.
The agreement comes amid an ongoing labor dispute between the hospital and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents nearly 800 BMC registered nurses. The RNs had planned to strike Feb. 27 after unsuccessful attempts to resolve contract issues such as staffing and health insurance. However, they withdrew their one-day strike notice Feb. 22 after progress in negotiations.
Both sides have been in negotiations since September 2016. The MNA has said nurses could still decide to re-issue their strike notice if a contract is not reached during future negotiating sessions.
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