Nurses, Support Staff Approve Contract with Howard U. Hospital
WASHINGTON – Nurses at Howard University Hospital approved a three-year contract late last month that ended a day-long strike, provides for a 7 percent base pay increase and permits forced overtime only in emergencies.
"We got everything we wanted," says Mary Jones-Bryant, chairwoman of the District of Columbia Nurses Association, adding that the decision to strike was "agonizing" but worth it in the end. "We showed unity here."
Donna Brock, a hospital spokeswoman, says management's goal was to provide nurses with the pay they deserve while making sure the institution has the resources available to invest in patient care, research and new technology. "We're confident the agreement … allows us to maintain that balance."
The vote came after weeks of negotiations and a 12-hour strike. Union officials would not reveal the breakdown of the vote, but Bryant said the proposal received strong approval. About 100 nurses, pharmacists and other union members voted.
The 137-year-old teaching hospital has invested heavily in new technology in recent years, but staffers at the 340-bed complex have not had raises in three years, union members said.
According to hospital personnel records, 57 percent of the nursing staff earns more than $60,000 base pay.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
