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MIDDLEBURY, VT -- After four months of negotiations, the Registered Nurses of the Porter Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals at Porter Medical Center (PMC) voted on Thursday to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement, their second contract since organizing in 2013.
PMC's agreement to establish safe staffing guidelines jointly with its nursing staff by September 2018 was a focal point of the nurses' campaign. Other important issues successfully addressed in these negotiations included tuition assistance, a stronger mentoring and orientation process for new nurses, as well as the establishment of a Nursing Practice Council. Nurses were able to win raises of 8.5% over the life of the three year contract. Additional wage increases recognizing years of experience were also secured.
"This agreement shows the commitment of our members to ensuring that our community gets the best care when they come to the facility," said Alice Leo, president of the nurses' union, "and could not have happened without that community's support."
Leo credited the visible support for safe staffing levels at the hospital, whether in the form of lawn signs, a community delegation to Porter Administration, and other activities, as playing a large role in the negotiations. She went on to conclude, "Our members were organized and united. Having folks like Bernie Sanders and David Zuckerman standing up at the Labor Day Rally saying 'safe staffing matters' is a big thing, but I'd be negligent if I didn't stress the impact and difference made by grassroots community support."
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Porter Federation of Nurses and Health Care Professionals is a union representing the Registered Nurses at Porter Medical Center and part of AFT Vermont. We are committed to advancing quality patient care & our nursing practice.
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