PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Following more than three months on the picket line, some unionized staffers at Butler Hospital returned to work over the weekend.

One week after ratifying a new contract, the New England Health Care Employees Union (SEIU 1199NE) and Butler Hospital leaders released a joint statement Monday announcing the progress.

"On behalf of both Butler Hospital and the members of SEIU 1199NE, we are proud to announce that as of Sunday, members have begun returning to work, and the process is continuing each day as more caregivers come back to their patients," the join statement read.

The two groups acknowledged the move as a significant step toward "the full restoration of all services" and called the hospital a "beacon of hope" for those who rely on behavioral health and

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