Nurses at Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol, Pa., part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare, have approved a new three-year labor contract after 15 months of negotiations.
Four things to know:
1. The nurses' vote for the agreement, completed Dec. 12, was 83% in favor, according to a news release from their union, Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals.
2. According to PASNAP, the deal includes:
- New nursing positions to assist with staffing.
- Protections against layoffs.
- Increased differentials, on-call pay and holiday hours, as well as protections for experience pay increases and other benefits.
- Overall wage increases averaging 14% over three years.
- Additional pay increases based on years of nursing experience.
3. "Even now, several years post-COVID, the system that's supposed to support bedside healthcare professionals and therefore patients is in crisis," PASNAP President Maureen May, RN, said in the union release. "This contract, with its emphasis on staffing and measures to improve retention, acknowledges the contributions of frontline caregivers and by prioritizing their numbers and respect for what they bring to the bedside, also prioritizes patient care."
4. Hospital spokesperson Michelle Aliprantis shared the following statement with Becker's: "We are pleased to announce that Lower Bucks Hospital has successfully reached a three-year agreement with the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. This significant milestone reflects our long-standing tradition of delivering quality medical and nursing care to the patients of our community.
"We look forward to continued collaboration with PASNAP and all hospital staff, with a shared focus on what matters most: providing outstanding care to our patients and community."