Nurses settle contract, hospital maintenance looks at union

"They ratified it by a 3-1 margin," Steve Moler of Operating Engineers Union Local 3 said of Friday's vote.

He said the union only gives out the margins on ratification votes rather than vote totals.

On a vote to organize, however, the union provides totals, and he said the service and maintenance employees voted 46 to 35 in a National Labor Relations Board election last week to be have the union negotiate a contract for them with the hospital.

The nurses, EGH and hospital owner Province Healthcare reached a tentative contract agreement late last month.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Rick Kilburn said the pact provides for a patient care committee, an education committee, covers other training issues important to the nurses and provides an annual 3 percent raise for them.

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