HPAE Kicks-Off Negotiations with Inspira Health Calling for Safe Nurse Staffing Levels

March 28, 2019

Contract talks began this week for the 1,300 Registered Nurses at Inspira Health hospitals as they negotiate for safe staffing levels at every hospital. Contracts are set to expire May 31, 2019 for the HPAE Local 5131 nurses at Inspira Health hospitals in Vineland, Elmer and Bridgeton and HPAE Local 5621 nurses in Woodbury.

“Nurses throughout Inspira Health are standing together to fight for safe staffing levels to protect patients and improve health outcomes,” said Dana Barrett, President HPAE Local 5131. “As unionized nurses, our demands at the bargaining table reflect our fights in Trenton and Washington DC to create a safe environment for our patients who rely on our expertise and care in each hospital.”

HPAE health professionals are advocating for safe nurse staffing levels at the bargaining table, while calling on NJ Department of Health to reinstate annual inspections of hospitals to enforce regulations such as safe staffing, safe patient lifting, and workplace violence prevention.

Inspira Health is an expanding health system that recently purchased land for $11.5 million to build a new hospital in Gloucester County near Rowan University. HPAE Nurses are committed to ensuring Inspira Health maintains vital services across South Jersey and focus on meeting the healthcare needs of the community.

“Healthcare is constantly changing as health systems are rapidly growing, yet the level of care and maintaining services must be a priority” said April Ferrara, HPAE Local 5621 President. “As Inspira grows, frontline caregivers remain united in calling on the administration to invest in nurses by the bedside. Our voices at the bargaining table can go far in making Inspira a leading health system dedicated to meeting and servicing the needs of patients and our community.”

HPAE and Inspira Health have bargaining sessions scheduled to meet throughout April and May to reach an Agreement before contracts for Inspira nurses at all four hospitals expire on May 31, 2019.

For more information contact: Bridget Devane at (732)996-5493