Members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East have approved a contract with Danbury, Conn.-based Nuvance Health that includes wage increases.
The contract covers about 1,500 workers, according to an April 26 news release. This includes technical workers at Rhinebeck, N.Y.-based Northern Dutchess Hospital, biomedical engineers at Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Carmel, N.Y.-based Putnam Hospital, and radiation therapists at Vassar and Putnam.
Workers approved the agreement after more than a year of negotiations, according to the union release.
1199SEIU said the "historic" contract includes annual raises of 3.5 percent in 2023, 2024 and 2025; up to 10 percent increases to minimum rates; and Juneteenth as an additional premium holiday.
Under the agreement, long-time members will continue their no-cost, comprehensive health benefits through the 1199 National Benefit Fund, and new members will be covered by the 1199 National Benefit Fund effective Dec. 1, 2024, the union said.
1199SEIU Executive Vice President Greg Speller said in the union release: "We are very happy that our members prevailed and won important collective bargaining agreements that will benefit healthcare workers and patients. Special praise goes to the workers who fought hard for their first contracts; technical workers at Northern Dutchess Hospital, and staff in the biomedical and radiation therapy departments at Vassar and Putnam."
John Nelson, assistant vice president of community, government and public relations on Nuvance Health's New York team, said in a statement shared with the Times Union that the company is "thrilled" about the new collective bargaining agreements.
"We are proud to have packages that match the level of care our employees provide to the mid-Hudson Valley community. Thank you to our employees for working with us to ratify the contracts that will help us continue our shared goal to offer safe, patient-centered healthcare," Mr. Nelson said, according to the newspaper.