Mount Nittany Medical Center’s unionized employees, who went on strike earlier this summer, have ratified a new three-year contract.

The four-month negotiation process ends with a contract that raises wages by 3% in each of the first two years and by 2% in the third and final year.

Additionally, if the hospital wins a lawsuit against the federal government and restores its Sole Community Hospital status, wages will increase by another 1%.

Twenty-two positions were given pay grade adjustments beyond the aforementioned increase.

According to the union, 86% of the 950 workers voted for the agreement. Union members said the contract protects benefits and continues to improve them, though workers wanted more.

Workers were initially disappointed when discussions returned to the table, as Mount Nittany offered only a 2% wage increase for the next three years, down from the original proposal the union had rejected.

The collective bargaining agreement grants paid maternal and paternal leave. Parents will be allowed two weeks of fully paid parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child. It also includes lenient uniform and shoe allowances and changes to part-time policies that allow for more hours.

The agreement will also implement a camera-integrated weapons detection system, a mass text emergency notification system, expanded employee duress badge technology, and a K-9 officer program.

During the union strike in July, the medical center spent $6.4 million on temporary staffing. Mount Nittany had not had a strike in over two decades.

The agreement is effective through June 30, 2029.

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