WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital team members ratify new three-year contract

WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital team members represented by Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania (SEIU Healthcare PA) voted Tuesday to ratify the tentative agreement reached last week between the Hospital and the union, according to a WellSpan news release.

SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania represents thousands of professional and technical employees, direct care workers and service employees in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, home and community based services, and state facilities across the commonwealth, according to the union.

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement that provides our team members with a competitive economic package and substantially enhanced benefits,” John Massimilla, WellSpan vice president and WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital president, said in the news release. “We believe this strong package will help us recruit and retain the employees needed to care for our community.”

The three-year agreement covers approximately 1,300 WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital employees and will expire July 1, 2025.

In an email Friday morning, a WellSpan spokesman was not able to immediately provide details, such as raises and benefits included in the new contract, as well as terms of the previous contract to use as a comparison.

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WellSpan Health states that its vision is "to reimagine healthcare through the delivery of comprehensive, equitable health and wellness solutions throughout our continuum of care. As an integrated delivery system focused on leading in value-based care, we encompass nearly 1,900 employed providers, 220 locations, eight award-winning hospitals, home care and a behavioral health organization serving South Central Pennsylvania and northern Maryland."

Benjamin Knight, a certified pharmacy technician at the hospital and local union chapter president, said the agreement was an "investment" in the hospital. 

"We’re glad WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital is recognizing our hard work and our dedication to providing the highest standards of care and safety to our community members,” Knight said in the news release. “Investment in our hospital is essential. We appreciate that we are able to work alongside WellSpan to accomplish that and continue to lead the way in exceptional patient care.”