BURLINGTON, Vt. —þAfter nearly three months of contract negotiations, Union nurses at UVM Medical Center have a new deal avoiding next week's planned strike.þþThe Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals contract with the hospital was set to expire next Tuesday.þþUnion nurses were set to strike on July 12.þþHowever, late Wednesday, the hospital and union reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.þþThe new deal is for a 23% wage increase over three years.þþThe union originally asked for a 40% wage increase before going down to 31%.þþNurses said their wages weren't keeping up with the cost of living in Vermont.þþThe new deal will help them to be more competitive with other hospitals.þþÿIt's going to help nurses pay the bills and pay rent, but also it's going to help attract and keep nurses, which the hospital sorely needs,ÿ said a union representative, who did not want to be named in the piece.þþThe nurses union will also see steps toward the top of the pay scale each year, which they say is a first.þþÿWe were able to negotiate the largest single increase in the Local 21's history,ÿ said the union rep. ÿThis is the first time, as well, in the history of this local that we can add steps to the top of the scale.ÿþþUVM Medical Center provided NBC5 a statement saying:þþÿUniversity of Vermont Medical Center is very pleased to have reached a tentative agreement on wages with the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals in the new three-year contract we are negotiating for our nursing staff. As a result, the union has withdrawn their strike notice.ÿþþIt's still unclear if other medical staff or doctors will be asked to take a pay cut in order to pay the nurses more.þþOn July 8, there will be one final bargaining session to discuss the remaining details of the deal.þþOnce the agreement is in place, all the nurses in the union need to ratify their new contract with a vote.
Source: nynbc5.com
