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Show FULL ACCORD REACHED Hospital Board Grants Wage Raise, Other Benefits to Nursing Staff Full agreement between the Iron County Hospital Board and the staff of nurses at the hospital Wednesday evening which grants a wage increase to all nurses, in addition ad-dition to an increase in holiday time allowed, was reached reach-ed which will avoid a threatened walkout at the hospital. The nurses stated their case in a published article last week, and this week announce complete satisfaction with the agreement reached, and express their thanks to the cooperation and understanding evidenced by the hos pitaj board members. The expression expres-sion of the nurses is voiced in a statement found elsewhere in this issue of the Iron County Record. Rec-ord. The nurses admit certain extra benefits that they have enjoyed in their contract at the hospital, and state that although these benefits was not recorded in the chart published last week, it was not their intention that this information should be omitted. Initial Increase Under the new agreement the beginning wage for nurses at the hospital will be increased from $210 to $250 per month. This amounts to an increase of from $20 to $10 for each nurse employed. employ-ed. The beginning wage has been $210 per month, but increases of $10 to $20 have been allowed nurses serving for two and three years. In addition the nurses will now be allowed eight holidays per year, as compared to four that has been in effect during the past several years. The increases will become effective on Jan. 1, and all other benefits will continue. con-tinue. Although the nurses aides were not involved in the official controversy con-troversy of wage increases, they will receive an increase in pay from 81 cents to 51.00 per hour, also effective Jan. 1. The other benefits, some of which other hospitals of comparable compar-able class do not allow the nursing nurs-ing staff, include a shorter work week, meals furnished, uniforms laundered, and insurance provided. provid-ed. Greater benefits in holidays allowed, were allowed in the other oth-er hospitals, while annual sick leave and vacation time was comparable. Other Benefits Compared The work week at the Iron County Hospital was 40 hours, while that of the three compara- ble hospitals in the state, Logan L D S, Price City and County, and Utah Valley at Provo,- ranged from 40 to 48 at one, and 41 at the other two. Meals are furnished fur-nished at the local hospital, and also at Price, but not at the other oth-er two. Uniforms are laundered at Iron County and Utah Valley, but not at the other two. Insurance Insur-ance is provided at Iron and Logan, Lo-gan, but not at the other two. Holidays allowed is set at eight at the other three, and has been oa'y four here. Under the new agreement local nurses will receive re-ceive eight, the same as the others. oth-ers. Annual sick leave was 14 days at Utah Valley and. 12 at the other three. Each hospital allowed a two week vacation. The beginning salary has been $210 at the Iron County Hospital, Hospi-tal, and will now be increased to $250. The beginning sn.'ary at the others is, Logan, $225; Price, $215, and Utah Valley, $235. Increase Pending Warren Bulloch, chairman of the hospital board, points out that an informal request for a salary increase had been made in September, and that formal request was filed in October. However, he pointed out that no increase could be allowed until the first of the year because it was necessary to make a tax levy to provide the money to pay such an increase. The Board of County Commissioners, Commis-sioners, Mr. BuUoch said, had provided for increased expenditures expendi-tures by making a one mill tax levy for the hospital. Such a levy has been made In past years but for the past three years it has been necessary to divert the funds to the County Rest Home at Parowan. This year the money raised by the levy, approximately approximate-ly $13,000, will go to the hospital. hospi-tal. Not Forgotten Mr. Bulloch stated that it had always been the aim of the hospital hos-pital board to provide sufficient funds to maintain the efficiency efficien-cy of the hospitaj, and this of course, could be done only by maintaining satisfactory nurses salary scale "under the prevailing prevail-ing conditions, however, It was impossible to make any wage increase in-crease before the first of the year," he continued. Mr. Bulloch also pointed out that 1955 has been the lowest revenue year at the hospital since 1916. Principal cause of this reduction re-duction in hospital use, he pointed point-ed out, has been the establishment establish-ment of hospitals in other com-munnties com-munnties In the surrounding area. Hospital patients now being be-ing taken care of in these hometown home-town hospitals were normally brought to the hospitaj in Cedar City In past years, for treatment. The hospital board is composed com-posed of the three county commissioners. com-missioners. Mr. Bulloch, Jess W. Guymon, and Lyman Sevy, with Mr. Bulloch as hospital board chairman; Dr. R. W. Farnsworth and Dr. R, G. Williams. The county coun-ty attorney, now A. M Marsden, and the superintendent of the hospital, currently Mrs. Jean Klrkham, automatically become members of the board. |