Members of Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania at Geisinger’s Luzerne County facilities have reached a new labor contract with the health system.
The agreement covers 800 nurses from Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., as well as Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, a campus of GWVMC, and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint in Pittston, Pa. The three facilities are part of Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger, a system with more than 10 hospital campuses and more than 25,000 employees.
In a news release shared with Becker’s, SEIU said the contract includes:
- Wage increases of 13% to 26% over three years, with average wage increases of 18%.
- A new Workplace Violence Committee, in which nurses will be paid to take part.
- Annual in-person security training for nurses on paid time.
- Legal support for union members who have been assaulted.
- At least five hours of rest time for nurses before they must provide care while on call.
- Pay improvements for being on call and fulfilling charge nurse responsibilities.
- Protection of benefits such as mental health days and no on-call days for nurses older than 60.
The new deal, approved by union members on April 11, comes after Geisinger nurses’ contract expired Jan. 31, and nurses went on strike in February.
“Going into this contract, we were completely worn down from severe understaffing, turnover and having to be constantly on-call,” Chrissy Minet, RN, said in the union release. “With better wages, benefits and safety, we can start to rebuild our local nursing workforce here. We especially want to thank our community members for standing with us, which was deeply heartwarming. Most importantly, this new contract benefits them because nurses will be better supported so we can deliver the highest standard of medical care.”
Geisinger shared the following statement with Becker’s:
“Geisinger is pleased to have reached a mutually agreeable labor contract with our SEIU-represented registered nurses who play a critical role in the delivery of care at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and its campuses. Geisinger is committed to remaining a top place to work for all healthcare professionals in northeastern Pennsylvania, and this agreement positions SEIU registered nurses as regional leaders in compensation and benefits. We look forward to continuing caring for our community together.”
