Health Care Workers At University Hospital To Get Raises, New Benefits

NEWARK, NJ — Social workers, lab workers, information technology (IT) workers and clinical staff at University Hospital in Newark have ratified a new contract that will provide a boost in wages and benefits, their union announced Thursday.

Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) Local 5094 members gave a green light to a three-year contract this week. Union spokespeople said it includes “new benefits, improved language for existing benefits as well as wage increases to bring lower-paid workers to some level of parity.”

“This agreement is a definite improvement and will help us retain current staff but also recruit new staff,” HPAE Local 5094 co-president Ryan Novosielski said.

According to the union, the new contract includes:

• Retroactive pay to October 1, 2024
• Wage increases of 3.25% on October 1, 2025, and October 1, 2026; and total average wage increases ranging from 8.5 to 11% over the life of the contract
• Tuition Reimbursement: Increased to $5,000 per year to provide additional money for those returning to school, and a one-time $250 compensation for additional certifications
• Enhanced protections for layoffs, extended sick leave, bereavement time and other leave time

“These gains will help support members in HPAE Local 5094, who work alongside nurses and other health care workers performing direct patient care,” HPAE president Debbie White said.

“Having a more stable workforce for the entire hospital can only translate to better care for patients,” White added.

University Hospital is owned by the state of New Jersey and is the state’s only public hospital.

NURSES REACH DEAL

Another local branch of the union – HPAE Local 5089 – announced a separate deal at University Hospital in October.

The local represents registered nurses at the medical center, who made better staffing ratios a major part of their campaign for a new contract. Read More: More Nurses Per Patient: Deal Reached At University Hospital In Newark

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.