(The Center Square) – After months of pressure from the local nurses\u2019 union, UPMC Altoona has tentatively agreed to major changes addressing staffing concerns.<\/p>\n
A vote will be held Thursday for the Service Employees International Union Pennsylvania Healthcare members to ratify the contract, which has a three-year term.<\/p>\n
The hospital is home to 500 nurses who are SEIU members. Demands from the organization reached a peak following the brutal attack of an emergency room technician in November. Nurses organized a campaign calling for measures that would emphasize recruitment and retention to bolster staffing while addressing safety concerns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gains we\u2019ve won will make our jobs much more sustainable, by helping us choose the shifts we prefer and take the time we need to be with our families,\u201d Jaime Balsamo, a 17-year nurse at Altoona and president of the local SEIU chapter. \u201cThe agreement will also make our wages more competitive with other area hospitals so we can attract and keep nurses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Significantly, the new contract awards credit for past experience and an average raise of more than 18% with some going up to 27%. Starting wages for new nurses without a Bachelor\u2019s of Science in Nursing, or BSN, will increase from $30 to $36 and for those with them to $37.50 over the course of the three year term. Casual nurses will see an increase from $30 to $38. Resource pool nurses who fill in gaps where needed in the hospital will see starting wages increase to $39.60 for those without a BSN and to $41.10 for those with one.<\/p>\n
Changes to shift policy will allow nurses to better set their own availability regarding day, evening, and night shifts. This, members hope, will open doors to increase staffing with nurses who need more schedule flexibility to balance their work lives and home lives along with other responsibilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring this process, we were able to advocate with management to finally implement many of the safety enhancements that we\u2019ve been calling for over the past few years,\u201d added Balsamo.<\/p>\n
Those enhancements include increasing security staff and installing a weapons-detection system at the main hospital entrances with badge-only access to other entrances. Staff will receive \u201crun, hide, fight\u201d trainings and monthly meetings of the hospital\u2019s workplace violence committee. Additionally, signs reminding people that assaulting a health care worker is a felony will be posted throughout the hospital.<\/p>\n