Nurses have ratified a new contract with the provincial government.

The 5,500 members of the Registered Nurses Union of Newfoundland and Labrador ratified the deal yesterday.

The 4-year agreement is similar to ones reached with NAPE, CUPE, the Allied Health Professionals and the NLTA which means no wage increase, the payout and elimination of severance, and changes to post retirement benefits.

The Nurses Union says the agreement also provides for a core staffing review in select areas to assess workload, the creation of 35 additional permanent float positions, an extension of parental/maternity leave from 52 weeks to 78 weeks, no layoffs, and a forum through the Office of the Status of Women to discuss workplace violence in health care.