PITTSBURGH — On Tuesday, July 18, 2017, approximately 1,300 registered nurses who are members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania opened up contract negotiations with their employer — Allegheny General Hospital, the flagship of Allegheny Health Network — coming off a one-year agreement from this fall and early opening talks this winter and spring. SEIU Healthcare PA members negotiated an extension agreement in late 2016 and intentionally began 2017 negotiations on an earlier schedule with a contract expiration of October 2017.
“As union nurses, our main objective as always is the highest quality of care delivery and experience for our patients,” said Cathy Stoddart, RN, bargaining committee member, and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania president of AGH RNs. “The emphasis in our new contract is on recruitment, respect and retention practices in our hospital and we are strategically planning to implement improvements to achieve this.”
In addition to addressing recruitment and retention practices, nurses will seek additional resources for clinical education at the bedside, resources for nurse lead quality improvement initiatives to help nurses innovate in their practice, and more flexibility in shifts and scheduling to help draw and retain nurses.
###
SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania is the state’s largest and fastest growing union of nurses and healthcare workers, uniting nearly 45,000 nurses, professional and technical employees, direct care workers, and service employees in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home- and community-based services, and state facilities across the Commonwealth. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania members are committed to improving the lives of healthcare workers and ensuring quality care and healthy communities for all Pennsylvanians.