Nurses at St. Mary's and St. Joseph's hospitals voted to unionize.
The nurses are now represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).
Organizers say it is the first contract ever for registered nurses in Arizona.
“This contract is a culmination of all the collective actions and the union strength of our nurses. What we have achieved here will give nurses at St. Joseph’s and St. Mary’s a voice in patient care and working conditions moving forward,” said Christine Valenzuela, an ICU registered nurse at St. Mary’s, in a statement.
The three-year contract runs through May 31, 2023.
The nurses will receive personal protective equipment, lift equipment, rest between shifts of eight hours or more, as well as pay raises of 2 percent a year for the next two years.
