EAST FRANKLIN TWP, Armstrong County — About 120 union workers at ACMH Hospital each will receive back pay as well as a 2 percent wage increase as part of a settlement between the hospital and the National Labor Relations Board.

The NLRB this week ordered the payment as a part of a settlement to remedy alleged violations of federal labor law by the hospital. The affected employees are licensed practical nurses and technical employees who are members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.

The union this month filed a complaint with the NLRB against ACMH claiming “rampant violations of employee rights.”

Union officials claimed the hospital violated labor laws in part by withholding an annual 2 percent pay raise and some back pay as punishment for unionizing.

Union officials also accused hospital administrators of barring union members from picketing on hospital property and taking away some employees’ ability to create their own schedules as punishment for unionizing.

According to a news release from the union, one radiology technician at the hospital was found to be owed $4,400 in back pay due to “illegal changes in scheduling practices.”

Anne Remaley, vice president for human resources at ACMH, said the NLRB investigation found no merit to most of claims made by the union, but still scheduled a hearing earlier this week to take testimony.

Although the hospital said the charges do not have merit, it chose to settle to avoid lengthy litigation, Remaley said.

As a part of the settlement, she said the hospital agreed to give the union the same wage increase that was given to non-union employees in December 2014. She said the raise was withheld because the union indicated it wanted to negotiate wages.

“We didn’t believe it made sense to give the union represented employees the same increase as the nonrepresented group while we were in the process of negotiations with their union over wages and other subjects. We were surprised that the NLRB has made this request because we thought the union wanted to negotiate for something other than what we were prepared to give them in the first place,” Remaley said in an e-mail.

The average amount of back pay given to employees under the settlement is $650, she said.

The union and hospital have been in contract negotiations since August 2014.

Bill Cruice, director of the union, said he was encouraged the hospital was able to settle with the NLRB and said he was hopeful that it would help bring the hospital and union closer to reaching a contract settlement.

“The issues that separate us from the hospital on the contract are within reach of settlement,” Cruice said in a statement.

ACMH and the union will continue to negotiate with the assistance of a federal mediator, the statement said.