The University of Vermont Medical Center has reached a tentative contract agreement with the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals after 10 months of bargaining.
Both the medical center and nurses union confirmed the agreement in statements Wednesday night.
UVM Medical Center President Eileen Whalen said the hospital agreed to a contract that includes a 16 percent average base salary increase over the next three years. The nurses union had called for raises above 20 percent.
"This has been a long and difficult road for all of us, and we are proud of what we have accomplished," said Molly Wallner, the union's lead negotiator, in Wednesday's statement.
Wallner told VPR Thursday that the union will spend the next several days educating members about the details of the contract. Wallner said that union members will likely vote on the agreement sometime next week.
"The reality is, if they don't feel it represents them well or it isn't what they truly felt they needed to continue to work as a proud UVM Medical Center nurse, they can vote against it," Wallner said. "You know, that is their decision."
Update 2:20 p.m. This post was updated to include information from an interview with Wallner.