The NJNU Bargaining Committee successfully negotiated a collective bargaining agreement that addresses staffing, wages, healthcare, and pensions. The highlights of the agreement are as follows:

1. Duration: November 2, 2006 through November 1, 2009.

2. Check-Off: Dues will be deducted weekly for all regular full-time and part-time employees. All per diems will continue to have their dues deducted from the first week in the month in which they have any earnings.

3. Holidays: Any nurse that is required to work a holiday, will be granted the eve of the holiday off. Any night nurse that is required to work the eve of the holiday, will have the actual night of the holiday off.

4. Per Diems: All per diems who complete their probationary period will become a member of the bargaining unit from the date of hire. All per diems will accrue seniority at ½ rate.

If a per diem nurse in Option 2 regularly works 12.5 hour shifts, they will also be required to work 12.5 hour shifts on their required holiday.

5. Sick Leave: Must provide the Medical Center with at least three (3) hours notice prior to calling out sick.

6. Work Assignments: 2200 will be added to the CTSD/4700/2300

7. Conference Days: Modified to have one (1) 7.5 hour conference day per year. In the event that a nurse does not use their conference day in a year, they can carry the conference day to the next year. However, at no time can a nurse carry more than one (1) conference day to the next year.

8. Continuing Education: A continuing education program will be implemented in January 2007 for all non-probationary regular full-time and part-time employees.

The Medical Center will contribute one hundred thousand ($100,000.00) dollars each calendar year. The monies will cover expenses related to program registration fees and/or reasonable travel expenses which have been approved by the Medical Center.

A nurse must apply to their immediate supervisor for continuing education money. Management has two (2) weeks to approve or deny the request, such decisions will be based on course content and availability of continuing education dollars.

Upon completion of the course, the nurse must provide proof of attendance and a copy of the CEU certificate as well as proof of payment.

There will be a three hundred ($300.00) limit per person per year on continuing education benefits.

If an employee leaves the Medical Center voluntarily less than six (6) months after reimbursement for continuing education, the employer can deduct one half (1/2) of the amount of such reimbursement from the employees final paycheck.

9. FMLA: Management has agreed to distribute a memo educating all bargaining unit members, as well as Nursing Supervisors, Nurse Managers, Directors, and the Human Resource Department, on FMLA. The Union participated in drafting the memo in order to fully explain to all employees what their rights are and how to take their leaves.

10. Staffing Committee: There will be a joint management/labor committee which would have the primary responsibility to address staffing issues such as, an acuity measurement system, the Department of Health staffing guidelines, and other recent trends in healthcare. This committee will have the authority to make recommendations and would meet on a monthly basis.

11. Wages: All bargaining unit members will receive guaranteed wage increases as follows:

Year 1 3.64%

Year 2 $1.165/hr

Year 3 $1.10/hr

12. Health Care Benefits: All eligible employees will receive the health benefits of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System Health Plan.

13. On-call: On-call will be increased from $35 to $40 per shift effective November 2, 2006 and from $40 to $45 per shift effective November 2, 2007.

14. Pensions: All eligible employees will have a one time, irrevocable election to continue in the Legacy Plan or move to the cash balance. The cash balance plan has a 401(k) with a matching plan.

401(k) The Medical Center will contribute 25% on the first 4% of salary that a nurse contributes to a 401(k).

For those nurses 56 years of age and over as of November 2, 2006 the Medical Center will contribute the following amounts on the first 6% of salary that a nurse contributes to a 401(k):

For those nurses age 59 and over as of November 2, 2006 who elect to remain in the Legacy Plan, the Medical Center will provide a 401(k) with a 25% match on the first 4% of their contribution.

15. Kentucky River Language: The Medical Center has agreed that they will not seek to remove charge nurses from the bargaining unit.