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Registered nurses and hospital officials Thursday night reached atentative agreement on a new three year agreement that the nurses say willsubstantially enhance their voice in patient care delivery, the Maine StateNurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, which represents the850 EMMC RNs, announced today.
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EMMC nurses will vote on the proposed pact in membership meetings todayand Saturday.
"We are extremely gratified to have achieved an agreement that is animportant step forward in our quest to assure that nurses have a strongermechanism to address staffing and patient safety at EMMC," said Judy Brown, anRN at EMMC and President of MSNA/Unit 1.
"With this agreement, we have achieved our primary goal of providingnurses with the means to be more effective advocates for our patients," saidLisa Jackson, an EMMC cardiac RN.
"I am enormously proud of the EMMC nurses for their unity and dedicationin standing up for themselves and our patients," said Brown. "It is theirspirit and resolve that created this great breakthrough for our facility andour community."
The agreement provides for establishment of Professional PracticeCommittee of staff nurses elected by their peers to meet with management toaddress and resolve patient care concerns at the hospital. Full details willbe announced following the membership vote.
"This is a historic achievement for the EMMC nurses who deserve theadmiration of nurses across the country," said Zenei Cortez, RN, representingthe Council of Presidents of the California Nurses Association and itsnational arm the National Nurses Organizing Committee to which MSNA isaffiliated. "They have demonstrated courage and determination to strengthenstandards for themselves and their patients."
SOURCE Maine State Nurses Association
