CGH Nurses Agree to Contract

By Dan Hust
HARRIS — April 28, 2000 -- The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) announced Tuesday that the 125 registered nurses working at Community General Hospital (CGH) of Sullivan County in Harris and Callicoon have approved a new contract with the hospital.
According to NYSNA’s Mark Genovese, the new contract allows nurses another paid vacation week, daily overtime pay, a step system, and pay based on certifications and other criteria.
In addition, he said the nurses’ overall pay should increase by 10 percent through the life of the contract, along with several longevity bonuses.
Those bonuses, said hospital spokesperson Selma Field, amount to $500 in the second year of the contract for nurses who have worked more than 20 years at CGH, followed by $250 the third year for those same nurses. All the nurses will get a $1,500 bonus the second year of their contract, said Field, and pay will go up 2 3/4 percent the first year and 3 1/2 percent the third year.
Genovese added that nurses also won provisions to allow them to “better document staffing problems and bring them to management’s attention,” along with winning a seat on a committee to establish a latex-free policy at CGH.
Though the nurses obviously thought the contract was fair and preserved safe working conditions, what about the hospital?
“We’re delighted [the contract was worked out],” said Field. “Everyone negotiated in good faith . . . for the nurses, the hospital and, in the long run, the community.”