The 28-day Temple University Hospital nurse strike came to an end Tuesday night when Temple’s chief negotiator Bob Birnbrauer penned the last necessary paperwork.
The new contracts were ratified on Wednesday when the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) voted 1045-30 in favor of the new contract agreements.
"We are proud that we reached a resolution and that we will be able to continue to fight for our patients, our rights, and our professions," Jackie Silver said in a statement.
The employees’ dependent tuition benefit, which Temple trashed last spring, will be reinstituted for the employees.
The tuition benefit will now be given to all Temple Health System employees, not just those in PASNAP. Pre-strike, Temple asserted the tuition benefit would no longer be provided.
"They knew we would not take their ‘best and final’ offer, but they underestimated the strength of our membership," said Maureen May, RN, president of the nurses’ union. "I am very proud of our contract and of our negotiating team."
Implemented in the plan is the eligibility for employees to choose from three different health plans, as healthcare was a key contributor in the strike. Employees will pay 10, 20 or 25-percent of the premium, depending which plan they choose.
Politics
"Temple’s proposed unacceptable conditions would be in our contract today if we had not stood together to resist their effort to weaken our union," said Bill Cruice, Executive Director of PASNAP. "The contract is a testament to the strength of our union and the commitment of our 1500 members at Temple," Cruice added.
All striking employees are invited back to work by Temple University Hospital management after they complete a re-orientation session.
Re-orientation sessions are scheduled for Thursday morning, and the PASNAP staff is expected to be back at work at 7 p.m. Friday evening.
