More than 1,000 nurses who work for the State of Illinois have a new four-year contract. According to Illinois Nurses Association, the contract includes substantial pay increases totaling 22.95% over the four-year term and $2,200 in bonuses throughout the life of the contract.
Twelve weeks of parental leave for both birthing and non-birthing parents is guaranteed and leave for the loss of a pregnancy is covered as well. The agreement also includes a commitment by the State of Illinois to roll out effective hiring practices by June of 2024 to fix the staffing crisis. According to the INA, the state currently has hundreds of nursing vacancies.
The INA represents nurses in the Department of Corrections, Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Public Health, Department of Child & Family Services, and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services within the State of Illinois.