After more than five months of negotiations, officials say a tentative deal has been reached between Brooks Memorial Hospital and the union representing its employees. The agreement between Brooks and 1199 SEIU was reached early Tuesday morning, and will take effect in September after ratification by SEIU members. Hospital and union officials have released this joint statement:
"We are pleased to announce that Brooks Memorial Hospital and the workers of 1199 SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East have reached a tentative contract settlement. We believe this contract, when ratified, will benefit the hospital, the workers and the entire community. The negotiations, which began on March 11, 2014, reached tentative settlement at approximately 12:30 a.m. Both negotiating teams acknowledged the difficult issues faced in a rapidly changing healthcare industry and expressed confidence that this agreement sets a solid foundation for continued collaboration for building the future of the hospital and the community it serves. The contract will not take effect until a ratification vote is taken by the 1199 SEIU membership at the hospital. That date is scheduled for September 11, 2014. After ratification, details of the contract will be released."