In a significant labor victory, Austin's Ascension Seton Medical Center nurses have sealed a deal on their first-ever union contract. After months of contentious negotiations and a series of strikes, the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) made the announcement Monday, heralding the contract's immediate effect until March 2027, covering 1,100 RNs.
The ratified agreement comes after nurses aimed to persistently negotiate for more favorable working conditions and patient safety measures. In a bid to secure a fair deal, they've been unable to avoid holding two one-day strikes last year, a move that led to a three-day lockout initiated by Ascension due to their temporary staffing agency arrangements, as reported by the Austin Chronicle.
Key features of the new contract include enforceable staffing grids and the establishment of a Professional Practice Committee, which will hold monthly meetings between RNs and management to tackle ongoing patient care concerns. In terms of financial compensation, the deal brings an average pay increase of over 11%, with some nurses seeing a hike up to 25.9% over the contract’s lifespan. These pivotal points were highlighted in the KXAN coverage of the contract ratification.
Zetta Hackleman, a perioperative services nurse, highlighted in the press release obtained by the Austin Chronicle, saying, "We are so proud of this contract that sets enforceable standards for safe staffing, which has always been our number one priority." She stressed the contract's role in holding Ascension accountable for maintaining safe nurse-to-patient ratios, saving lives, and improving nurse recruitment and retention. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Ascension Seton reportedly expressed their enthusiasm to KXAN, stating, "We thank our nurses for voting to accept this fair and equitable contract and are eager to move forward together as we continue to care for our community and put the patient at the center of all we do."
The hard-won contract is seen as a beacon of change for other nursing staff at Ascension facilities throughout the country who are still in the midst of their bargaining processes. According to KXAN, Ascension St. Agnes in Baltimore, Maryland, and Ascension via Christi hospitals in Wichita, Kansas, have their nurses aligning with the NNOC in their quest for their first union contracts.
