Clara Maass Nurses Will Get Raises; Contract Negotiations Continue

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Unionized nurses at Clara Maass Medical Center will get a bump in pay as part of ongoing contract negotiations with the Belleville hospital, administrators announced this week.

Nearly a year ago, about 540 registered nurses at Clara Maass – a RWJBarnabas Health facility – voted to form a union with 1199SEIU. Spokespeople said that “safe staffing,” job security, pay and benefits were among the most important issues.

The newly unionized health care workers are now trying to land their first work contract. However, talks with hospital administrators have been hitting a brick wall over the past months. See Related: NJ Nurses Demand New Contract; Hundreds Rally At Belleville Hospital

On Wednesday, a significant milestone was reached: raises for the nurses.

A spokesperson for Clara Maass gave Patch an update on the latest contract talks:

“After a productive meeting with 1199SEIU, the union representing Clara Maass Medical Center (CMMC) nurses, we are pleased to announce that the union has agreed to the market wage adjustment CMMC proposed at the first negotiation session on October 13, 2022. The wage increases will be implemented, effective Sept. 3, 2023, and be reflected in the nurses’ next paycheck. The market adjustment includes a new 30-year wage scale based on experience, a $5 an hour differential for per diem registered nurses based on the 30-year scale, and hourly increases in preceptor pay to $2.50, $6 for nightshift differential, and $2 for charge pay. Our nurses are the backbone of Clara Maass. Their hard work and dedication both to this hospital and especially to our patients cannot be understated nor can our appreciation for them. Not only do our nurses deserve these increases, but these actions will help CMMC further address staffing, retention and recruitment efforts.”

“We look forward to continuing discussions with 1199SEIU on other issues and topics that are important to our nurses with the goal of reaching an amicable contract resolution,” administrators added.

When reached for comment on the hospital’s statement, a spokesperson for the union provided the following reply:

“Wage increases agreed to between 1199SEIU and Clara Maass Medical Center are an important step towards ensuring that nurses are paid adequately at the hospital. But management continues to deny fair wage increases to their most senior nurses or retroactivity for months of stalled wage increases—compensation that nurses will continue to demand as bargaining continues. Unfortunately, management is still refusing to give RNs meaningful input on staffing and other quality of care concerns, which is a major roadblock to reaching a contract agreement. Nurses have the most experience with direct, hands-on care, and their professional views cannot be ignored. It is totally unacceptable that Clara Maass management is refusing the type of labor-management collaboration that exists in many other Tri-State Area hospitals. We are simply demanding a formal process for nurses and management to work together to solve pressing issues.”

“As the state’s largest health system and private-sector employer, we are deeply disappointed by RWJBarnabas Health’s continued disrespect of nurses at affiliated institutions,” the union’s spokesperson continued. “We call on management to settle a fair contract at Clara Maass and elsewhere, including University Hospital [in Newark], where nurses are making fair and just demands to benefit their patients.”

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