The agreement, approved by members of the Health Professionals and Allied Employees Local 5142 on Dec. 13, reportedly comes after eight years of efforts. It includes 3 percent pay increases for nursing staff, as well as the formation of a committee of nurses and hospital management to address staffing issues, according to the union.
Nurses have tried to reach a deal since unionizing in 2010 and were unsuccessful in doing so with Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems. In November, for-profit hospital operator CHS agreed to sell Memorial Hospital to Salem County Hospital Corp., a nonprofit that will be run by Bloomfield, N.J.-based Community Healthcare Associates.
The sale is expected to close soon, at which time the one-year labor deal takes effect, according to NJ Advance Media. The future owner plans to rename the hospital Salem Medical Center, to be operated as a nonprofit facility.
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