The Federation of Nurses/UFT recently ratified contracts for registered nurses at Lutheran Medical Center and Staten Island University Hospital. Each contract provides significant raises and improved working conditions for its nurses.

The 500 nurses represented at Lutheran approved a two-year agreement on Feb. 28. The contract, retroactive to Jan. 1 of this year, increases base pay by 3.5 percent this year, an additional 3 percent next January and 1 percent more in July 2006. In addition, the experience differential was raised to $1,000 for every year of nursing experience up to 25 years.

The contract also seeks to minimize the practice of floating nurses out of their units by using volunteers and posting overtime availability in nursing units. It also seeks to improve nurse-to-patient ratios by requiring that labor and management meet periodically to review the needs of each hospital unit.

The Staten Island University Hospital local, which represents 250 nurses, ratified a three-year contract on March 31. The contract has significant gains for its nurses, including base salary rate increases. A staff nurse currently earning $56,816 will be earning $62,955 by 2007. The Staten Island nurses also were able to boost their experience differential to $1,000 for every year of experience up to 25 years.

In addition, the union was able to get the hospital to increase its annual contribution to the nurses’ retirement plan. The contract also improves staffing levels in each unit of the hospital and requires a float team to cover vacancies in the hospital units.

 The nurses at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt., who are represented by the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Local 5221, recently reached an agreement with management on a contract wage re-opener, effectively securing an average wage increase of 10 percent this year for many registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical nurses (LPNs). The re-opener came as Fletcher Allen experienced a severe nursing shortage and significant inequities in the wage scale. In 2004, the union agreed to permit the hospital to place new nurses at the step commensurate with their years of experience. Soon, however, veteran nurses—some with 10 years of experience or more—found they were making less money than new hires. The wage re-opener agreement addresses these pay inequities by giving RNs a 4.5 percent wage increase and LPNs a 3.5 percent wage increase effective Oct. 1, 2005.

Veteran nurses will receive step increases of one to three steps, which represent an additional 2.5 percent to 6.5 percent wage increase.

LPNs will receive a 3.5 percent wage increase as well as step advancements equal to a wage increase of 2 percent to 6 percent.