BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) - Union nurses have voted to ratify a new contract with the University of Vermont Medical Center.
The contract approved Thursday includes a 16-percent pay increase over three years. Nurses were seeking a 22 percent raise during negotiations that began in March.
The nurses had been working without a contract since July, and they held a two-day strike in support of higher wages.
Union nurses issued a vote of no confidence with the medical center’s board of trustees last week, saying that they “refused to engage” during contract negotiations.
The union’s lead negotiator Molly Wallner says nurses are proud of what they accomplished, and the contract is a “clear reflection of our commitments to our patients.”
UVM officials say the contract provides support for nurses while enhancing patient care.
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