NJ hospital contract talks

Published Jul 29, 2006

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http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060729/NEWS/607290376/1001

City hospital, nurses meet Monday on contract

Home News Tribune Online 07/29/06

By DAVID STEGON

STAFF WRITER

[email protected]

NEW BRUNSWICK-Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital officials and representatives from its nurses union are scheduled to meet Monday evening to discuss their labor dispute, but hospital officials stopped short of saying they will restart negotiations in wake of the nurses overwhelming rejection of the hospital's "final" contract offer.

The nurses voted 765 to 165 to reject the hospital's final contract proposal on Thursday and voted to authorize the union to strike if necessary.

But Jeanne Clark, a spokeswoman for the union and a nurse at the hospital for 16 years, said union officials are "eager to return to the negotiating table" in hopes of reaching a deal.

"Nothing is settled right now," Clark said. "We are just going to see how things develop and go from there."

State Labor Commission David Scolow, at the behest of Gov. Jon S. Corzine, contacted hospital president Clifton R. Lacy on Thursday night and again yesterday to persuade the hospital to restart negotiations.

"Mr. Lacy appreciated the opportunity to discuss the merits of our best and final offer with Mr. Scolow along with the interest of Governor Corzine," said John Patella, a hospital spokesman. "We are going to meet with the union on Monday to further clarify the elements of our best offer."

Patella though did not say the meeting was a negotiating session.

Scolow also contacted Leslie Curtis, the union's chief negotiator, and asked for the union to hold off on a possible strike notification until the Corzine administration had an opportunity to restart negotiations.

By state law, the union must give 10-days notification of a strike to allow for emergency preparations to be made.

Previously, Clark had said the nurses are unhappy over their current health-care insurance along with issues pertaining to patient safety, among others.

Clark said the nurses current health-care plan calls for all nonemergency care to be treated at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick or pay an $800 to $1,000 deductible, which the union feels is unfair.

Patella, who called the hospital's final offer "fair and competitive with other hospitals in the area," said the nurses health insurance is also in line with other area hospitals.

The spokesman said the nurses are some of the highest paid in the region with an average annual salary of $91,700, according to data from the U.S. Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services released by the hospital.

The nurses, though, said that number is the hospital's cost for each nurse, including overtime, and not a true reflection of what each nurse actually makes. Clark said a new full-time nurse at the hospital makes $62,192 per year, which raises to $86,216 for a nurse with 30-years experience with escalations based on experience.