By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News 

After months of negotiations, nurses and technicians at Rhode Island Hospital have voted down a contract offer from Lifespan.

United Nurses and Allied Professionals (UNAP) Local 5098 rejected the contract at a vote on Tuesday night.

“Our focus now is to continue fighting for a fair and reasonable agreement that respects the sacrifice and commitment that front-line caregivers bring to their jobs every day,” said Helene Macedo, President of Local 5098 in a statement.

Macedo said her union has reached out to a federal mediator to reestablish negotiations with Lifespan.

A spokeswoman for Lifespan and Rhode Island Hospital said they are “disappointed” with the news that UNAP rejected the offer despite the fact that it was endorsed by their negotiating committee and the union’s leadership.

In a post to the UNAP website on September 10, Macedo informed union members that the negotiating committee had “reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.”

“The negotiating committee fought long and hard to present you with a contract that reflects the commitment and sacrifice you bring to your job, every day,” Macedo wrote. “I believe we’re finally able to do that.”

The group’s website also included a list of “contract highlights” that included things like wage increases in every year of the three-year contract, continuation of the current no lay-off protection and improvements to dental insurance. The news of the new agreement came after UNAP members rallied outside the hospital in August.

“We strongly believe the three-year contract proposal included an extremely fair wage and benefits package,” wrote Lifespan spokeswoman, Beth Bailey, in an email statement. “It is expected that the federal mediator who assisted the parties in reaching the current tentative agreement will now bring the parties together to review next steps.”

So far no ten-day strike notice has been issued by UNAP.