We view as unmitigated good news that UPHS-Marquette and registered nurses with the Michigan Nurses Association found common ground and reached a tentative contract agreement after months of bargaining.

We’re told the agreement provides significant gains in wages, addresses staffing concerns and enables nurses to keep their current health insurance.

Specifically, the nurses’ tentative agreement includes:

• Guaranteed wage increases of 18.75% over four years to bolster recruitment and retention at the U.P.’s largest hospital.

• A new joint committee of hospital representatives and union nurses that will review the hospital’s staffing plans and address staffing issues.

• Inclusion of staffing in the union’s grievance process.

• Continuation of the nurses’ current health insurance.

Since March, around 600 UPHS-Marquette workers bargained over two separate contracts – one for the RN Staff Council and one for the Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists. The two unions are part of the Michigan Nurses Association.

MAST, the techs’ union, will continue bargaining on Sept. 2 and 3 as planned.

These are the kind of negotiations that can and occasionally do go south, especially in tough economic markets. We are pleased that didn’t happen.