Tentative contract agreement reached in four-month RWJ nurses strike, hospital says

Susan Loyer, MyCentralJersey.com
Updated ·2 min read

NEW BRUNSWICK – Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing the hospital's more than 1,700 nurses, have reached a tentative contract agreement nearly four months into a work stoppage, the hospital and the union announced Friday.

The nurses have been on strike since Aug. 4, citing issues such as safe staffing levels related to patient-to-nurse ratios and removing any penalties for nurses who call out sick as the key issues to walking off the job.

“A memorandum of agreement was signed by both parties and will be presented over the next several days to union members through informational meetings as part of the ratification process,” Wendy Gottsegen, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital spokesperson, said in a statement. “We encourage our nurses to attend these meetings and vote at the ratification sessions. The resolution reflects our shared goals of providing the highest-quality patient care and creating a safe and supportive working environment for our nurses.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing the hospital's more than 1,700 nurses, have reached a tentative contract agreement nearly four months into a work stoppage.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and United Steel Workers 4-200, the union representing the hospital's more than 1,700 nurses, have reached a tentative contract agreement nearly four months into a work stoppage.

“RWJUH has the utmost respect and appreciation for our nurse colleagues and all they do for our patients, the community and this hospital,” Gottsegen continued. “We look forward to the outcome of the ratification vote.”

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"It's been a very long struggle and we are glad to hopefully bring this to a resolution," said Judy Danella, a 28-year nurse at the hospital and president of USW 4‐200. “It has been 120 days. I believe it's a fair deal."

The memorandum of agreement was signed Friday morning, she said.

The deal raises wages, caps insurance costs and provides safe staffing ratios for the nurses, according to a press release from USW 4‐200.

“Safe staffing is essential to both patient care and reducing burnout among health care workers,” Danella said in the press release. “This contract sets necessary staffing ratios so that we can spend more time with each of our patients and keep ourselves safe on the job.”

Danella said she believes informational sessions will be held sometime later next week as they are in the planning stages. If all goes well, a vote will be held the following week, she said.

During the strike, the hospital has paid more than $120 million for replacement nurses with the highest levels of certification and experience in acute care and specialized clinical areas, according to the hospital's community webpage.

Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement he was pleased to see both sides reach a tentative agreement.

"I am grateful to the many individuals who were involved in these talks for their dedication to finding a fair and acceptable solution that works for both sides,” the governor said.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: RWJ NJ nurses strike tentative contract agreement reached: hospital