PRESS RELEASES
Contract Agreement Reached
Northeast Hospital Corporation and The Massachusetts Nurses Association Reach Three-Year Contract Agreement
(Beverly, MA) - Registered Nurses employed by Beverly Hospital, Addison Gilbert Hospital and the Beverly Hospital Hunt Center overwhelmingly ratified a new collective bargaining agreement on February 1, 2007. The new contract is effective immediately, and expires on October 31, 2009. The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the union which represents almost 650 nurses in the hospitals, has been negotiating with Northeast Hospital Corporation (NHC), the parent company of the three sites, since August 2006.
The previous contract originally expired on October 28, 2006, but was extended until the end of January. The new agreement involves numerous changes with the most significant being an improvement in the wages paid to registered nurses, recognition and rewards for nurses who have Bachelors and Masters degrees and certification in a nursing specialty.
"I am thrilled for our nursing staff, we have a fantastic three-year agreement which allows us to recruit and retain the most talented and skilled nurses," said Greg Bird, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer. “As a leading healthcare provider on the North Shore, we have a great work environment for our nurses and now we have very competitive salaries for all our nurses. This contract confirms the value and importance of nursing in our organization.”
Northeast Hospital Corporation
As affiliates of Northeast Hospital Corporation, Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital are full service community hospitals providing quality, patient-centered care to North Shore residents. Services include maternity, pediatrics, surgical, cardiology, orthopedics, as well as other specialties. The hospitals boast a medical staff of more than 570 physicians and their service area includes 13 communities.
