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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Registered nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital ratified a new three-year contract Wednesday, eliminating the need for a strike scheduled for Feb. 13.</p><p>The Wyoming Valley Nurses Association voted overwhelmingly for the labor contract reached Tuesday night with hospital owner Community Health Systems, which operates regionally as Commonwealth Health.</p><p>The deal that runs through Jan. 31, 2020, satisfied the nurses&#8217; concerns on safe staffing with the inclusion of a proposal for &#8220;a robust Patient Care Council that meets regularly with a federal mediator present if necessary ,&#8221; the union said. The contract also contained &#8220;significant improvement in wages to recruit and retain nurses.&#8221;</p><p>Speaking for the union, Lori Schmidt, RN and vice president of the WVNA, said members were proud of what they accomplished.</p><p>&#8220;We have a process to address our patient care concerns, which we hope that the hospital has entered into in good faith. We will keep the community updated and fully intend to hold them accountable,&#8221; Schmidt said in a prepared statement.</p><p>&#8220;Unfortunately, the hospital refused to include nurses&#8217; domestic partners in our bereavement policy, which is very disrespectful, but we will continue to pursue it,&#8221; Schmidt added.</p><p>The two sides had been in negotiations since December 2017 and scheduled more than 20 bargaining dates. The prior contract expired Jan. 31, 2018.</p><p>The union, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, walked off the job for one day May 31 of last year over its concern the nurses were assigned too many patients and mandated to work overtime. The hospital locked out the union nurses for four days before allowing them to return.</p><p>The state Department of Health stepped in at the request of the nurses and conducted a surprise inspection last year. The state found deficiencies that the hospital said it addressed.</p><p>&#8220;We are pleased that the union members voted to ratify the contract and look forward to working with all of our employees to continue to provide excellent health care to our community,&#8221; said Cor Catena, CEO of Commonwealth Health.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Registered nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital ratified a new three-year contract Wednesday, eliminating the need for a strike scheduled Feb. 13. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/web1_TTL010518WBGeneral-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Registered nurses at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital ratified a new three-year contract Wednesday, eliminating the need for a strike scheduled Feb. 13. </caption0><photoCredit0>Times Leader file photo </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes-Barre General Hospital nurses ratify contract and avert strike