Update on Nursing Contract Negotiations

Howard Brown Health and the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) reached agreements on 18 major contract and bargaining proposals including staffing levels, a new health, and safety section to help protect employees, expanded union representation rights, additional disciplinary and arbitration safeguards for nurses, a new mediation process before arbitration, expanded shift/scheduling flexibility, more labor-management meetings, an Memo of Understanding on Monkeypox (MPV) safety and vaccinations, among other provisions.  

Today, Howard Brown continued its good faith efforts to reach an overall agreement with the INA by reaching a historic tentative agreement on nurse staffing levels and commitments for three years, presenting a wage offer reflecting 12% wage increases over the life of the contract, a bonus for nurses, and participation in a generous agency-wide bonus program. Both parties also agreed to invite a federal mediator to assist in reaching a final agreement.  The federal mediation and conciliation assigned mediator has a background in labor relations in the medical field, to assist parties in reaching an overall contract agreement. 

The Illinois Nurses Association today delivered a notice of their intent to strike on October 3, 2022, at 8 a.m.  Howard Brown and the Union have agreed to continue to meet and bargain in good faith to reach a final agreement. Howard Brown is so far pleased with the significant steps and continued progress towards a contract, and we are confident that an agreement can be reached on or before October 3.

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Media Inquiries:
Erik Roldan, Director of Communications and Marketing
mediainquiries@howardbrown.org