Milford Regional union nurses ratify first contract, including pay raises and patient limits

Photo | Grant Welker Milford Regional Medical Center

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By Timothy Doyle

Registered nurses at Milford Regional Medical Center, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, voted on Wednesday to ratify their first contract since unionizing in 2021.

"Our MNA contract will immediately benefit nurses and patients and will make a positive impact in our community for years to come," Sara Burton, MRMC nurse and co-chair of the MNA bargaining committee, said in a Thursday press release from MNA.

The contract establishes a wage step scale, guaranteeing a 4% raise between each step. In addition, there will be an 8.5% raise for all nurses over the next two years.

Nurses will receive overtime pay when they have worked one-hour past their shift or exceed 40 hours a week. They will also be considered full-time for insurance purposes once they exceed 32 hours per week.

Charge nurses, who oversee the management and logistics of patients, will have either zero assigned patients or reduced patient assignments so they can perform their jobs more effectively and also be free to help in case of emergencies.

“We are pleased with the Nov. 16 ratification of the first contract between Milford Regional Medical Center and the Massachusetts Nurses Association,” Judy Kelly, MRMC vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at the hospital, said in an email to WBJ.

The agreement reflects the hospital’s priorities of recruiting and retaining top talent and providing high-quality care, Kelly said.

Nurses at the hospital first sought to join the MNA in December 2020 and voted to join in February 2021.