Illinois' UI Health reaches tentative deals with nurses, workers

UI Health said it has reached tentative contract deals with 1,400 nurses and about 4,000 other workers.

The Illinois Nurses Association union said this morning that it reached a four-year tentative agreement with the health system. 

“The nurses are satisfied that hospital management listened to their concerns about safe staffing and have committed to hiring 160 full-time nurses over the coming year. The hospital improved on wages and several other safety issues over the course of the last week, creating a deal the negotiating team could support,” said an emailed statement from INA spokesman Chris Martin.

Nurses must ratify the proposed contract and would vote on it between Sept. 28 and 30, with results announced Oct. 1, the statement said. Nurses have been back on the job since their seven-day strike ended Sept. 19.

SEIU Local 73 would not confirm the tentative deal but is set to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. About 4,100 Local 73 members have been striking against University of Illinois health facilities at UIC and around the state since Sept. 14. Local 73 represents about 2,000 UI Health employees, the union said.