Nurses and health professionals at Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus, N.J., went back to work June 22, ending a 20-day strike. A tentative agreement was reached on June 21, and members ratified it the next day. The 420-member unit, represented by Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), had set up picket lines on June 2. 

For much of the strike, the parties remained far apart on key issues of safe staffing levels, restrictions on floating, and wage and pension parity with workers at other area hospitals. As the nurses and health professionals picketed daily, the hospital brought in scab nurses from around the country, flying them in, putting them up in hotels and paying super-premium wages.

Bergen is one of 10 locals participating in HPAE’s "One Voice" campaign, in which affiliates aligned their contract expiration dates to focus on such issues as staffing, pension, salaries and retiree health benefits. (See related story.)

"With this agreement, we have moved forward in our goals of achieving safe staffing and retaining our experienced caregivers," said HPAE president and AFT vice president Ann Twomey. "The nurses and health professionals at this hospital took on a fight against for-profit healthcare and for safe staffing–and emerged stronger than ever."

Throughout the 20-day strike, the union had the support of the community, as well as state and federal lawmakers, including state assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg and U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, both Democrats. In addition, the New Jersey labor commissioner had announced that the strikers would be eligible for unemployment benefits.

On June 22, the state Assembly’s health committee held a special hearing into the effects of the hospital’s privatization on patient care. Solomon Health Group, a for-profit company based in Lakewood, Colo., has managed the hospital for six years, and the union and many elected officials claim that staffing, services and care have fallen off. HPAE recently wrote to Bergen County officials asking them to replace the company.

The new, three-year contract establishes a staffing committee to set nurse-to-patient standards in all units of the hospital. An independent facilitator will recommend ratios if the union and hospital cannot agree on them within one year.

The contract includes a 5 percent wage increase this year and 4 percent increases in 2005 and 2006. If other area HPAE hospitals give raises higher than 4 percent in 2006, Bergen will increase its raises to a maximum of 6 percent to achieve parity.

A new step scale for the registered nurses in all divisions provides wages that will start at $26 an hour. Those with 15 years’ experience will earn $36.35 an hour at the end of the contract. A step scale will provide additional hourly incremental increases based on experience and seniority.

In addition, the contract maintains the existing restrictions on floating registered nurses to units outside their expertise, and establishes new restrictions on floating for professionals, such as social workers.