A week after their last one expired, about 900 Mount Nittany Medical Center workers have a new contract.
A ‘strong majority’ of those workers at the county’s only hospital approved the new agreement on Thursday night, according to a statement from the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania.
Those covered under the contract include nurses, dietary, environmental service workers and others, according to the union. The medical center has about 2,200 employees in total.
‘Our community needs good jobs, and MNMC plays a key role in that,’ said hospital maintenance worker Scott Liliedahl. ‘When healthcare workers come here to make this their career with jobs that allow them to support their families, our local economy grows.’
The three-year contract includes 3 percent wage increases for each year, maintaining affordable health care coverage and secure retirement benefits, a voice in staffing and improved education benefits.
‘The education benefit is so important,’ said Carralee Franzwa, Certified Surgical Technologist. “We all want to make sure healthcare workers have the opportunity to continue learning in this changing industry. And it helps keep more and more skilled workers right here in State College.’
‘Retaining staff plays a huge part in patient care,” added Registered Nurse Cynthia Calvin-Vandergas in the statement. ‘Recruiting and keeping qualified, experienced healthcare workers right here is the best way to ensure a consistent level of quality care in our hospital.’
SEIU represents approximately 45,000 nurses and health care workers statewide.
