Nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital approve contract

Registered nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore voted on September 19 to approve a three-year contract. The agreement, which runs through September 2029, ends mandatory overtime and limits assignments to units outside a nurse's clinical competency.

According to a news release from National Nurses United, the contract includes pay increases of 5 to 6 percent over three years and bars mass layoffs of per diem nurses. The agreement also establishes protections for nurses who raise safety concerns and provides immediate security assistance as part of workplace violence prevention measures.

The contract includes provisions for union representation and sets procedures for arbitration and discipline. It also contains protections to keep the agreement in effect if the hospital changes ownership. Melissa LaRue, an intensive care unit nurse, stated that the contract includes improvements to equipment and staffing. Hospital officials said in a statement to the Catholic Review that they were pleased with the outcome.