(KALAMAZOO) - Nurses at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo reached a tentative agreement with their hospital’s administration Friday for a new three-year contract.

If ratified, the contract would cover over 300 nurses at the hospital.

The agreement was reached after 86% of voting Michigan Nurses Association members at Ascension Borgess passed a resolution authorizing their elected bargaining team to have the ability to call for a strike should it be necessary.

In a statement, Lori Batzloff, a nurse at Ascension Borgess and President for the local bargaining unit of the MNA, says by standing together, they sent a clear message to Ascension that a strong contract that protects patients by recruiting and retaining nurses is vital to the community. Batzloff says now it’s time for the membership to review the tentative agreement.

Some of the highlights of the new deal include: Average raises of 20.5% in year one of the contract, creating a new wage scale ranging from $33.44 to $48.72; An additional emergency personal day for all RNs to help address the work/life balance challenges many nurses face and help improve retention; Increasing shift differentials for evening and night shift nurses by $1 per hour, a 100% increase for evening nurses, as well as increasing on-call pay to $5 per hour to help address staffing concerns.

A ratification vote will be held Wednesday, December 14. No additional details will be publicly released until after the membership has first had a chance to review and vote on the tentative agreement.