Registered nurses at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Reno, overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year contract. The agreement is the result of a bargaining campaign that included an informational picket and a strike pledge. Tamara Erickson, an RN at St. Mary’s for more than 29 years, and member of the bargaining team says “We fought hard for an agreement to ensure safe patient staffing.” The nurses say the new agreement protects safe nurse staffing, through minimum nurse-to-patient staff ratios and meal and break period protections. They say improved pay and health benefit provisions will help retain and recruit experienced nurses.