Nurses Ratify Pact Offering 7% Raises

By MEREDITH KOLODNER

Registered Nurses at the Health and Hospitals Corporation approved a new contract last week, according to the New York State Nurses Association.

NANCY KALEDA: 'Helps retain and recruit.'

Voting for the pact, which runs from Dec. 1, 2007 to Jan. 20, 2010 and covers 7,100 Nurses, took place at facilities throughout the city on Oct. 25. Union officials refused to disclose the number of Nurses who voted or the margin of victory, saying that NYSNA had a policy of never releasing that information. But they asserted that the turn-out was "excellent" and the approval margin was "overwhelming." The contract will give the Nurses a 7-percent increase over not quite 26 months.

'Will Help Retain Staff'

"This contract will substantially increase city Nurses' salaries, which will help alleviate staffing problems by retaining experienced nurses and recruiting new hires," said Nancy Kaleda, senior associate director of NYSNA's collective bargaining program.

The deal is the union's first on-time contract in more than 17 years. The current contract expires Nov. 30. The agreement will lift the cap on the number of years of experience outside HHC that Nurses can apply to their salary level. Starting salaries will rise to about $66,000 as of July 2008 from the current $61,527.