Mount Nittany Medical Center union workers ratify new contract just hours before expiration

Mount Nittany Medical Center union workers ratified a new contract just hours before it was set to expire on Friday night. In a time of a worker shortage and rapid staff consolidation, the agreement includes major investments to recruit and retain staff at the center as well as address the trend of healthcare worker burnout

Mount Nittany Medical Center union workers ratified a new contract just hours before it was set to expire on Friday night.

In a time of a worker shortage and rapid staff consolidation, the agreement includes major investments to recruit and retain staff at the center as well as address the trend of healthcare worker burnout and a nationwide rise in threats against caregivers. According to SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania the new union contract includes the following:

  • Nearly 15% average total investment for all union members between annual guaranteed raises and an immediate $3,000 signing bonus;
  • Additional pay upgrades for registered nurses, respiratory therapists, and nursing assistants to attract and retain the staff needed to ensure safe staffing levels on inpatient units;
  • Protections against excessive health insurance premium increases;
  • Increased paid time off that union members can save and improvements to the process for scheduling much-needed time off; and
  • A workplace safety committee for union members and hospital administration to collaborate on safety initiatives at a moment when threats against healthcare workers are rising nationwide.

To further address the issue of the national staffing crisis, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved the Patient Safety Act earlier this week which aims to "establish safe patient limits under the care of an individual nurse in Pennsylvania hospitals."

In a press release sent out by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, Josh Rosefsky, a maintenance worker and Secretary-Treasurer of the union at Mount Nittany said, “I’m proud of what we did to carry our community through the pandemic. But the past three years have been among the most challenging of our careers. This contract is about recognizing what we have been through and providing the support to keep people here for the next three years and beyond.”

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