Nurses at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's hospital in Altoona have ratified a contract they say will increase staffing at the central Pennsylvania facility.
SEIU Healthcare PA says 96 percent of its members voted Tuesday to accept the 3-year deal. UPMC confirmed the ratification.
The union says UPMC has agreed to post 30 more nursing jobs on top of 26 already posted. The union says staffing at the hospital is difficult because of competition from the nearby Mount Nittany Medical Center, which pays more because it receives better government health care reimbursements.
The deal also includes a 15-percent cap on the nurses' health care premium increases and offers annual raises of 2 percent the first year and 2.5 percent the last two years.
