The New Brunswick Nurses Union has voted to accept a new contract from the province.
The thousands of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners have been without a contract since 2018.
In a release on Saturday, the NBNU said 56 per cent of members voted yes to a new collective agreement on Friday.
“I am pleased that a collective agreement has been ratified,” said Paula Doucet, NBNU president, in a statement.
“This is the first step in improving the work and personal lives of nurses in New Brunswick; however, I recognize that the poor working conditions and retention and recruitment won’t be fixed overnight. They will remain priority issues for NBNU.”
In the first week of December, the union voted 92 per cent in favour of a strike.
The nurse manager and nurse supervisor bargaining unit will also conclude voting on their tentative agreement on Monday, the NBNU statement said. Details of the agreements will remain confidential at this time.
In a statement, Finance Minister Ernie Steeves said the province is “pleased to have reached a resolution with these workers who have been working exceptionally hard since the start of the pandemic.”
“We appreciate their dedication to the health and wellbeing of New Brunswickers,” he said. “This deal is fair for employees and New Brunswick taxpayers. We look forward to the nurse managers vote in the coming days.”