The Hawaii Government Employees Association unit representing registered professional nurses has ratified a new two-year contract with pay raises.

The unit, which covers about 1,700 public-sector nurses, agreed to a 4 percent pay raise retroactive to January and a 4.3 percent raise effective in July. The government will also cover 60 percent of health insurance premiums.

“We recognize the hard work of our Unit 9 negotiation team that helped to secure a contract that is fair and equitable to our members,” Randy Perreira, the HGEA’s executive director, said in a statement. “We commend the dedication and commitment of our professional nurses for their invaluable service they provide everyday in our safety net healthcare facilities and our community.”

The contract runs from July 2013 through June 2015.