Nurses at Pittsburgh-based Allegheny General Hospital ratified a new contract agreement with management Monday, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The three-year agreement covers roughly 1,300 nurses represented by Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania. It includes longevity increases for experienced nurses and continues to improve nurse-to-patient ratios, the union said via news release. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania added the contract also keeps nurse health benefits and increases nurse hiring rates, among other provisions.
"Throughout these negotiations, we have remained focused on two goals: making sure there are always enough nurses at the bedside for our patients, and that our input is respected in care-delivery decisions," said Cathy Stoddart, president of the nurses' union. "This contract achieves those goals and we're looking forward to the improvements in patient care that come with it."
Dan Laurent, a spokesman for AGH, expressed similar sentiments in a statement cited by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"We are pleased to have reached a fair and competitive agreement with our nurses at AGH. This contract is reflective of the commitment by both sides of the negotiating table to establish mutually acceptable terms in a productive and professional manner. It was driven by a collective desire to do what's best for our patients, for the hospital and for the community."
Nurses and the hospital have been in negotiations for about three months.