NORTHAMPTON — A new union contract for Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s registered nurses aims to address workplace violence, includes new anti-discrimination language and spells out mechanisms for bumps in pay.
Joe Markman, spokesman for the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents 325 registered nurses at the hospital, said the contract removes employee last names from identification badges and establishes a new system for prevention, training, reporting and responding to threats.
The federal government defines serious workplace violence as incidents where employees require time off to recuperate from on-the-job injuries.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2013, health care and social assistance workers saw 7.8 cases of serious workplace violence per 10,000 full-time employees; workers in construction, manufacturing and retail saw fewer than two cases per 10,000 full-time workers.
“It’s definitely an ongoing issue that nurses deal with on an almost daily basis,” Markman said.
He said the new contract lays out procedures to flag problem patients and emphasizes de-escalation techniques.
Gender identity and gender expression also receive recognition as protected categories against discrimination in the new contract.
As far as wage increases, Markman said the new contract shifts 89 percent of union nurses who were on the hospital’s lowest pay grade to a higher one, allowing for increased pay in the long run, he said.
He said the new pay procedures will help the hospital attract and retain talent.
Management is on board with the changes, Cooley Dickinson Health Care president and CEO Joanne Marqusee said in a statement.
“We are pleased to have reached agreement with the union in a timely and respectful way,” Marqusee said. “We value our nurses and the tremendous work they do caring for patients.”
The statement adds management believes in the importance of “safety and equality.”