Following several months of negotiations and a strike, unionized workers at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College have a new three-year contract that includes 3% wage increases in the first two years and a 2% increase in the final year.
On Monday night, 86% of union workers voted to approve the new contract, which will expire on June 30, 2029.
“We advocated tirelessly for months and did everything we could,” said Jess Mulroy, a registered nurse at Mount Nittany Medical Center. “It’s not everything we wanted, but we achieved an agreement that protects what generations of Mount Nittany workers fought to get, and made progress in benefits, safety, and security."
Pay raises had been a major sticking point throughout negotiations. At one point in negotiations, union members asked for a 5.75% increase in the first year, a 4.5% increase in the second year and a 4% increase in the third year.
Mount Nittany leaders had pushed back on higher pay raises, pointing to concerns about the hospital’s long-term financial health. Hospital leaders are trying to reinstate Mount Nittany's Sole Community Hospital designation. Officials say the loss of that designation will cost the hospital millions of dollars.
If Mount Nittany restores that designation, hospital leaders say union workers will get an extra 1% raise in the third year of their contract.
“This contract reflects Mount Nittany Medical Center’s dedication to investing in competitive wages, strong benefits, and initiatives that support the professional growth and wellbeing of our employees,” said Kathleen Rhine, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mount Nittany Health.
The contract also includes pay grade adjustments for 22 positions. Here are the full provisions of the new contract, as shared in a Mount Nittany press release:
- Two weeks of fully paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child, available to both parents, which can be used to cover the first two weeks of an employee’s 12 weeks of FMLA leave
- No changes to existing employee healthcare benefits
- Increased uniform and shoe allowances
- Additional workplace safety and security measures, including two workplace safety task forces—one focused on the Behavioral Health Pod in the Emergency Department and another focused-on safety concerns in the Ambulatory Surgical Unit and Endoscopy; implementation of a camera-integrated weapons detection system; a mass text emergency notification system; expanded employee duress badge technology and establishing a K-9 officer program
- Changes to part-time scheduling policies which prevent part-time employees from being scheduled above their FTE allotment mutually agreed upon by the employee and Medical Center
