Butler Memorial Hospital workers ratify first union contract, averting strike

Frontline healthcare workers at Butler Memorial Hospital overwhelmingly approved their first union contract on Friday, avoiding a planned strike that was scheduled to begin.

The three-year agreement covers 235 surgical technologists, respiratory therapists, licensed practical nurses, radiology technologists, and other hospital employees represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.

Union officials said 96% of voting members approved the contract. The workers voted in May 2025 to unionize and join nurse colleagues already represented by PASNAP.

Negotiations focused heavily on retaining experienced staff and addressing concerns over staffing and compensation, according to a press release from union representatives.

"We knew when we came to the bargaining table that we needed, for the sake of our patient community, to do everything we could to retain our experienced techs with a contract that respects the expertise we bring to the bedside and the essential role we play in patient care – and we did that!" said respiratory therapist Monica Johnson.

Under the agreement, workers will receive guaranteed annual raises of at least 3% during the life of the contract. The deal also establishes an experience-based wage scale with six pay steps designed to address wage disparities and reward longevity.

The contract includes staffing "grids" and introduces financial penalties for involuntary schedule changes that occur more than three times annually, according to the union. In addition, the agreement preserves benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, vacation time, sick leave, personal days, and holidays.

"The ability to provide high-quality care to our patients is what drove us to unionize," nuclear medicine tech Don Geibel said. "It's at the heart of everything we do, whether it's in the hospital or at the bargaining table."