Nurses, technicians and professionals across two Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals-represented locals within Philadelphia-based Temple Health have ratified three-year labor contracts.
The vote occurred Oct. 10 at Temple University Hospital—Main Campus, Temple Women & Families Hospital and Temple University Hospital—Jeanes Campus, according to a union news release. Eighty-seven percent and 90% of voting Temple University Hospital Nurses Association and Temple Allied Professionals members, respectively, approved.
Overall, the deal covers 2,600 nurses, techs and professionals, primarily at Temple University Hospital—Main Campus and Temple Women & Families Hospital, as well as bone marrow transplant nurses and techs at Temple University Hospital—Jeanes Campus.
According to PASNAP, the contracts include:
- Installing weapons detectors at Temple Women & Families Hospital within 120 days
- Providing at least two certified protection officers
- Maintaining functional and accessible panic buttons, surveillance and emergency alert systems.
- Improved staffing and training at Temple Women & Families Hospital and Temple Main emergency department
- Annual wage increases of 3.25%, 3.25% and 3%, respectively, over the three years of the deal. With step increases for experience, wage increases for union members will be between 9% and 27% over the life of the deal.
- A one-time $1,000 ratification bonus for full-time staff and a $500 ratification bonus for part-time staff
- Other wage provisions, such as $2,500 per year for continuing education for advanced practice nurses; a $12 differential, up from $10, for per diem staff who work holiday shifts; and expansion of eligibility for certification bonuses for techs and professionals.
The agreements also avert a planned strike. Union members were set to begin a five-day strike Oct. 6 and had postponed their scheduled strike by one week.
“These contracts are wins for every nurse, tech and healthcare professional at Temple — and for every patient who comes through our doors,” PASNAP President Maureen May, RN, said in a union news release. “The central issues in our bargaining campaign weren’t just about us — they’re about the safety and dignity of our patients. Today, Temple leadership heard us loud and clear.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Temple Health said the deal “reflects a mutual commitment to a constructive negotiations process and to achieving terms that are fair and equitable for all parties. It further recognizes the extraordinary efforts of our employees and supports Temple Health’s mission to provide safe, high-quality care to the patients and communities we serve.”
