Nurses and other workers at hospitals and health systems have secured large raises and other contract asks recently amid negotiations with unions. Below is a breakdown of the raises, reported by Becker's since Nov. 1.
1. Members of the New York State Nurses Association at Montefiore Mount Vernon (N.Y.) and Montefiore New Rochelle (N.Y.) hospitals approved new three-year labor contracts. A union news release said the contracts, approved Dec. 28 and Dec. 29, include "historic wage increases that bring these Montefiore nurses in line with pay standards of the Montefiore Bronx facilities and improvements in working conditions, including strengthened safe staffing enforcement language."
2. Nurses at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., approved a new labor contract Dec. 15, two weeks after reaching a tentative agreement with the hospital following a strike that lasted more than 120 days. The agreement, which covers members of United Steelworkers Local 4-200, provides pay "that reflects the value of the role of the RWJUH nurse on the care team, many of which hold the highest certifications and education levels in their field," according to Alan Lee, president of the hospital.
3. Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals approved a new labor contract with Prime Healthcare's St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, Calif. The contract, approved by 81% of voting union members, covers 600 registered nurses at the medical center, according to a Dec. 13 UNAC/UHCP news release. Highlights of the deal, as cited by the union, include a 9% across-the-board wage increase from the current base rate of pay and placement on the wage grid, as well as 3% pay increases for 2024 and 2025.
4. A coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions-represented employees approved a new four-year national labor contract following an October strike involving tens of thousands of workers in multiple states. Employees also approved their local collective bargaining deals. Details of the national agreement include raising wages by 21% over the life of the contract; establishing a new healthcare worker minimum wage of $25 per hour in California and $23 per hour in other states where Kaiser operates; and protective terms related to subcontracting and outsourcing, according to coalition representatives.
5. Members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania approved a new three-year union contract with Pittsburgh-based Allegheny General Hospital. The agreement includes an average raise of 23% over the life of the contract; a minimum $40 an hour starting rate by the end of the contract for all nurses with a BSN degree; a new salary scale for salary and specialty nurses based on years of licensure; and significant raises for nurse practitioners, according to the union.