After six months of negotiations, the DC Nurses Association and Children’s School Services have settled a new contract. “We came into bargaining seeking to overhaul a contract that nurses felt did not offer us enough job protection and input into nursing issues,” said RN Robin Burns, who chairs the DCNA-CSS unit. “Despite difficult negotiations, we were able to secure lasting changes to the contract and we hope we can strengthen our relationship with management and continue to provide essential nursing services to the children in the District of Columbia.” Highlights of the deal include a 3% across the board wage increase, increases in education benefits, and a commitment to address shared nursing leadership issues. The agreement also establishes the right to grieve staffing and scheduling. A membership ratification vote will be held next week.