Nurses and technicians at Eagleville Hospital have reached terms on a new three-year contract, averting a possible strike, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The 110 staff members at the behavioral health and addictions treatment medical center in Eagleville are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.

They had voted earlier this month to authorize a strike due to concerns over unsafe staffing levels.

The staff members who are union members include 60 Eagleview nurses and around 50 mental health technicians and nurses assistants. Their contract expired on September 30.

The unanimously approved new contract outlines a new process to prevent short staffing.

“This contract, with its emphasis on safe staffing, prioritizes excellence in patient care as well as the health and safety of frontline caregivers,” said PASNAP President Maureen May.

The contract also includes wage increases for nurses and technicians. Since these are based on multiple wage differentials including clinical advancement, the increases vary greatly.

However, they will be in the range of three to ten percent for nurses and five to 20 percent for technicians.

Read more about Eagleville Hospital and the new contracts for nurses and technicians in the Philadelphia Business Journal.