New Contract for Nurses at Local 9620 after Long Campaign
Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in Somerset, N.J., ratified a contract in early May after seven months of tough negotiations. The nearly 500 USW members obtained several key improvements in the collective bargaining agreement, their second with the union, including increases to on-call pay and market adjustments for wages as well as to tuition reimbursement.
“Overall, we believe the contract included really substantial gains especially when you consider we’re so new to the union,” said Local 9620 President Kimberly Delbrune-Mitter. “The entire committee worked tirelessly, and the gains made were a result of that hard work and the solidarity of all of our members.”
The contract covers approximately 510 registered nurses in Local 9620. Bargaining began in November 2018, with the contract proposals voted down twice before the ratification last month.
The bargaining committee utilized a vast toolset to keep all of their busy members up to date and involved with the campaign, including social media posts, text messaging, and sticker and button days.
Local 9620 will be back at the bargaining table for their next contract in roughly a year.
Workplace Violence Bill Passes out of Education and Labor Committee
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (HR 1309), sponsored by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), was advanced out of the House Committee on Education and Labor on Tuesday by a 26-18 vote.
The bill, if passed by Congress, would direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to update current legislation to ensure workplaces develop and implement violence prevention plans, which will significant impact health care workers, who experience violence on the job at rates 12 times higher than the overall work force.
“This legislation would do what health care workers have long needed, and that is for their employers to be held accountable,” said USW Vice President Fred Redmond. “An enforceable OSHA standard is the only way to guarantee that, and we look forward to pushing this bill through with the help of our dedicated union activists.”
The United Steelworkers have been organizing a Safe Jobs Now postcard campaign in support of the bill. Please help us make this action a success by urging every one of your fellow members to get involved. For any questions, or to get additional cards, reach out to your District Rapid Response Coordinator or call us at 412-562-2291.