Einstein nurses ratify 3-year pact, here's what they got

Registered nurses at Einstein Medical Center voted last week to ratify their first union contract.

About 98 percent of the nearly 1,000 nurses at the North Philadelphia hospital, who joined the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) earlier this year, voted in favor of the three-year agreement.

 “We are more unified than ever,” said Peg Lawson, a registered nurse who works in Einstein’s emergency department. “We stood up for ourselves and our coworkers and our patients when it mattered most. I’m thrilled that we were able to ratify this agreement with such strong support throughout."

As part of the new contract, according to PASNAP, Einstein has agreed to hire additional nurses and maintain improved staffing levels. The hospital will put in place new plans to handle spikes in volume and will work with a nurse-led committee to address staffing issues.

Einstein has also agreed to limit the pulling and reassignment of nurses to specific areas for which they are appropriately trained. Over the course of the three-year contract, the hospital will reduce or eliminate the direct patient assignments of charge nurses.

In addition, according to PASNAP, the contract calls for undisclosed wage increases and a transparent wage scale based on years of experience. PASNAP said the hospital also agreed to improve the nurses’ health insurance, providing more coverage for nurses and family members who are treated outside of Einstein.

Einstein officials were not immediately available for comment.

“These nurses made enormous strides in their first contract,” said Patty Eakin, the president of PASNAP. “They’re directly improving patient care standards through strong contract language on staffing and reassignment. And by improving work conditions for all of their coworkers, they’re creating a better environment that will ultimately benefit patients also.”

In addition to Einstein, PASNAP added nurses at four other hospitals this year – growing its membership by about 3,000 members, an increase of nearly 70 percent.

The union reached new deals for nurses at Tenet-owned St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Hahnemann University Hospital earlier this month. Contract negotiations are ongoing at Delaware County Memorial Hospitals. Discussions on a labor deal are scheduled to begin at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center next month.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal