UnityPoint Health-Meriter nurses voted to ratify the tentative agreement reached between Meriter and SEIU Healthcare. After months of bargaining and a five-day strike by hundreds of nurses, the two-year contract is now final.
The contract includes wage increases on top of what is already one of the highest paid nurse workforces in Wisconsin. Through the new contract, Meriter aims to ensure retention of its long-term nurses and bolster recruitment of new members to its team.
Meriter will continue to offer its established benefits, including health and dental insurance, tuition assistance, support for child care and a wellness program, which includes access to free mental health support and other wellness training.
“We are extremely pleased to reach a contract that we can all be proud of,” said Sherry Casali, UnityPoint Health-Meriter’s chief nursing executive. “Nurses are critical to what we do each day, and we believe that this contract recognizes their skill, commitment and passion.”
As reported by the Wisconsin State Journal, Amber Anderson, co-chair of the Meriter nurses bargaining team, said, “We have demonstrated that we will not back down when it comes to standing up for fairness, respect and what we deserve. We fought for every penny they had to offer [and] won an 8% increase across the board over two years for every single nurse at Meriter.”
The nurses, while unable to secure an agreement on contractual language securing workplace safety, did secure language supporting work toward safety and security solutions. Meriter reportedly committed to addressing key safety and security issues.
Anderson said the agreement’s language also holds management accountable after nurses voiced concerns about patient-to-nurse ratios they said left them overworked and impacted patient care.
Related story: 850 Meriter nurses strike ahead of renewed union negotiations
