Nurses win big in new contract with St. Vincent Hospital

The nurses at St. Vincent Hospital are celebrating a recently ratified three-year contract that provides better health benefits, a raise, and commitments to grow staffing levels in different departments. The 700 union nurses at the Worcester hospital, which is a part of the nationwide hospital system Tenet Healthcare, have been negotiating a new contract since November 2013. After more than 20 negotiating sessions, the hospital and the union reached an agreement on Feb. 3, which was ratified by the nurses on Feb. 18. Considering the economic climate many hospitals find themselves in, with dwindling reimbursements and mounting technology needs, the contract is a surprising win for nurses of the public, for-profit institution.