About 500 members of UFCW Local 152 who work at Cooper University Hospital Cape Regional in Cape May Court House, N.J., ratified a new contract on Feb. 10. This ratification marks the first contract the local has negotiated with the hospital since the merger with Cape Regional.
The three-year contract includes improvements to the existing contract. All members received immediate across-the-board wage increases, as well as guaranteed yearly increases for the duration of the contract. Additionally, all members will receive a longevity-based ratification bonus to reward seniority. With health care coverage always a priority, the committee was able to maintain affordable quality health care — now with a much larger network of providers.
Because safe, quality patient care remains a cornerstone concern for all, the union negotiating committee fought hard to establish a “Staffing Committee” to review staffing data, reports, and unit- or department-specific staffing concerns. The soon-to-be-established committee intends to meet quarterly to echo safe patient staffing as a top priority.
