MNA Nurses of Salem Hospital Reach Tentative Contract Agreement to Help Protect Patient Care Quality by Respecting and Investing in Nurses

The tentative agreement follows a powerful informational picket by nurses in October that pushed Mass General Brigham to stabilize the Salem RN workforce

SALEM, Mass., Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The registered nurses of Salem Hospital, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), reached a tentative agreement on Monday, December 16 that properly values nurses as part of an effort to improve staffing levels and enable Salem nurses to continue providing safe patient care to the communities they serve.

"We are incredibly proud of what we achieved for Salem nurses and our patients through union solidarity," said Kathy Schevis, Salem Hospital RN and MNA Co-Chair. "By joining together as MNA nurses and advocating for ourselves and the quality care our patients deserve, we won a strong contract that will help improve RN recruitment and retention."

Salem nurses held an informational picket on October 15 that drew hundreds of nurses, community members, and elected officials. Following the picket, nurses continued to organize toward further action pending MGB's movement at the bargaining table on the key issues of health insurance costs and competitive wages. The new three-year contract tentatively reached on Monday must be approved by a vote of the full Salem MNA membership.

"This agreement truly shows the power of union nurses as we went up against the largest hospital corporation in New England and secured many critical improvements that benefit nurses and our patients," said Andrew Beaver, Salem Hospital RN and MNA Co-Chair. "MGB agreed to invest in competitive wages and mitigate its proposed insurance cost increases because of the unity among nurses and our community."

Tentative Agreement Highlights

Duration: April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2027

Wages: A 16% across-the-board (ATB) increase for all nurses over three years, including retroactive pay back to April 1, 2024. A new 4.5% top step split over two years, with the first portion retroactive back to April 1, 2024. These new wage increases are in addition to the annual 4.5% wage increases nurses receive when they are below the top step.

Health Insurance: Negotiated reductions in nurse premium costs as part of a transition to MGB's health insurance plans. Health insurance premium stipends for many RNs impacted by higher costs under the new medical insurance programs once they go into effect in January of 2026.

Workplace Violence: Secured more robust workplace violence language, which gives nurses a seat at the table to make the hospital safer and more secure for patients and staff.

Differential Pay Etc.: Increases to tuition reimbursement, shift differentials, the on-call rate, charge and preceptor pay.

New MNA Members: Successfully negotiated case managers and wound care RNs who voted to join the MNA into the MNA Salem Hospital bargaining unit.

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Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association