Indiana Regional Medical Center has released details on last night’s negotiation session, where the Indiana Registered Nurses Association presented a counter-offer to the hospital’s “Last, Best and Final Offer.”
According to a statement from Mark Richards of Indiana Regional Medical Center, the nurses’ union presented a revised request for the wages, with wage increases of 3% for both years one and two, and a 2.5% increase in year three. Along with that, they offered two other package proposals, including a withdrawal of a request to have an unassigned float nurse on each shift if IRMC would increase the shift differential to $1/hour. They would also withdraw a request to add a add a pull differential if IRMC would withdraw a proposal to only pay overtime after 40 hours a week.
Richards added that there were no movements on the sticking points of insurance costs or paid time off.
Annie Briscoe of the Indiana Registered Nurses Association said that there’s been no word yet on if IRMC has accepted the counter-proposal, but they did say they would take the counter-proposal under consideration.
There are no scheduled negotiating sessions, but IRMC has put in place a January 31st deadline, after which the offer will be modified to recoup the costs incurred by the medical center during the nurses’ strike in November. IRMC also says the modifications would include no provision for pay increases for union members for the next three years.
Briscoe added that the IRNA wishes to continue to bargain in good faith with the hospital.
