Queen’s nurses approve contract

Registered nurses at The Queen’s Medical Center ratified a new contract Tuesday that will boost wages by 9 percent over three years, according to the Hawaii Nurses’ Association.

The agreement for 1,200 union nurses goes into effect on Dec. 1 and runs through November 2014.

There will be an increase in medical contributions for the first year of the contract, but that will go back "down to the normal rate" in the second and third years if members participate in a wellness program, said HNA President Joan Craft, a Queen’s ICU nurse for 15 years.

"By increasing the rate in the first year and having the opportunity to bring it back down, it gave everyone an incentive," she said.

The contract also calls for a post-maternity leave provision, which allows nurses the option of returning to work part time for two months once they come back from maternity leave to "help nurses transition back to work and make it so that they don’t leave," she added. Nurses typically work 36 to 40 hours a week. Registered nurses in Hawaii typically start at $60,000 a year, according to HNA.

In addition, the contract kept intact a defined-benefit pension plan, which was a top priority in negotiations, Craft said.

"We want our nurses, when they need to, to be able to retire and take care of themselves," she said. "It’s also going to help retain nurses."

Cindy Kamikawa, an RN and Queen’s vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer, said in a statement: "Our nurses are valuable members of our Queen’s ohana. The numerous contributions they make every day help Queen’s put our patients first as we continue to provide the best health care to the people of Hawaii for many years to come."

Another 630 RNs at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children are currently negotiating a new contract that expired Wednesday. Queen’s RNs ratified their agreement the day before it was set to expire.

Hawaii Nurses’ Association OPEIU Local 50, which represents 4,000 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse aides and radiation therapists statewide, is an affiliate of the Office & Professional Employees International Union.