UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital, part of Pittsburgh-based UPMC, and union nurses have agreed to a new contract, which was recently approved.
Six things to know:
1. The agreement covers 115 nurses at Western Psychiatric, according to SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania. JNESO and the SEIU have agreed to allow SEIU to bargain on behalf of JNESO members at the hospital. UPMC is a nonprofit health system that operates 40 hospitals and employs 100,000 staff members total.
2. Under the agreement, the minimum wage for nurses with a BSN degree will be raised over three years from $31.65 to $40.25 per hour, a 31% increase, according to an Oct. 29 union news release shared with Becker's.
"This is the first-ever guaranteed minimum wage rate above $40 for nurses anywhere in UPMC," the release said.
3. Taken together, the guaranteed minimum raises, longevity increases to reward years of service and improved pay for a clinical ladder provide union members with average raises of up to 35%, with the highest raises reaching 44% by the end of the agreement.
4. The union called the deal "historic," and said it "invests in recruitment, retention and respect to ensure quality care and address the growing mental health crisis."
5. A UPMC spokesperson shared the following statement with Becker's: "UPMC and JNESO have agreed to a new three-year contract, ratified over the weekend."
6. Nurses at Western Psychiatric had been negotiating a new union contract with UPMC since August. They authorized a strike Oct. 7, although the strike never took place.