On the eve of a planned strike, members at Rockland Pulmonary and Medical Associates agreed to their first contract with Westchester Medical Center, winning 12 percent raises over the life of the three-year deal.

Since voting to form a union with 1199SEIU more than a year ago, members have been fighting hard to establish minimum rates across all job classifications and secure across-the-board wage increases. The contract also includes an additional $1,000 ratification bonus for eligible members.

The agreement was reached after more than a year of organizing, solidarity, and tough negotiations by 1199SEIU members, including a one-day strike following unfair labor practice charges alleging, among other things, that Westchester Medical Center threatened to close the practice to “make an example” of workers after they voted to form a union.

Newly organized nurse practitioners at Good Samaritan and Bon Secours Hospital, also part of the Westchester Medical Center network, linked their struggle to their fellow members at Rockland Pulmonary. The solidarity across one of the region’s largest healthcare networks paid off in the end. The nurse practitioners won an on-call differential for the first time, as well as wage increases of more than 20 percent over the life of the contract, after a three-day strike was narrowly averted.