BMH nurses ratify new contract
Members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals employed by Butler Memorial Hospital voted to ratify a new three-year contract on Monday night, May 12.
The new contract includes measures to increase staffing, improve safety, improve wages and alter scheduling. The vote was solidly in favor, with 80% voting yes.
“We knew when we came to the bargaining table that we needed, for the sake of our patient community, to do everything we could to retain our experienced nurses with meaningful protections from workplace violence and a contract that respects the expertise we bring to the bedside and the essential role we play in patient care,” association president Tammy May said in a news release.
“We are pleased to announce that the proposed contract between Independence Health System’s Butler Memorial Hospital and the PASNAP nurses’ union has been ratified by union members,” said Melissa Forster, marketing and communications specialist for Independence Health. “This agreement reflects our shared commitment to supporting our nurses and ensuring expert care, here, for our patients and community.”
The announcement comes after members voted to put the option of a strike on the table Wednesday afternoon, only to reach a tentative agreement with Butler Memorial on a contract in the early hours of Thursday.
May said at the time securing safety measures and addressing an increased amount of workplace violence were some of the priorities for the nurses’ representatives.
To address workplace violence, the hospital will maintain at least one new metal detector, place an additional security guard in the emergency department, and grant financial support for nurses who are victims of workplace violence.
A financial penalty also will be implemented when more than three involuntary schedule changes occur per year.
BMH nurses have been negotiating a new contract for the first time since Excela Health and Butler Health System merged in 2023 to form Independence Health System, which includes four hospitals in Western Pennsylvania. The previous contract expired April 16.
Just under 500 nurses fall under the contract.
