A new labor contract will be adopted today by union members, following several days of voting on a proposal that will affect more than four hundred nursing home caregivers at long-term care facilities operated by Seniors Management North, Inc., based in Cherry Hill.

The caregivers are members of 1199 SEIU, the largest healthcare workers union in the country. Members reached a tentative agreement with their employer for a new labor contract, which was officially ratified by workers yesterday after the final day of voting.

The settlement provides significant wage increases and strengthened benefits for caregivers at Barnegat Nursing Center (Ocean County), Manchester Manor (Ocean County), The Health Center at Galloway (Atlantic County) and Wanaque Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation (Passaic County).

A settlement negotiated over several months between union representatives and management, the agreement includes wage increases for workers in each year of the contract. Management also agreed to absorb an increase to the rate it contributes for family health benefit costs without additional contributions from employees. The settlement comes at a time when many non-union workers are being forced to accept wage freezes and to use greater portions of their wages to pay for health benefits.

“We all stood together, and we got the things we wanted. Workers are happy that we got wage increases and that we get to keep our family health benefits. I will be sending my daughter to college next year, so all of this is very important for me,” said Rosemarie Fermaintt, a Certified Nursing Assistant at The Wanaque Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation.

As a part of the settlement, caregivers will also continue to have access to training and education opportunities funded by their employer, which are designed to promote professional development and technical skills training.

“This is not just a victory for our workers. It’s a victory for nursing home residents, too. Caregivers are now getting more of what they need to support themselves and their loved ones at home. At the same time, this contract makes them better equipped to provide quality care to their residents at work,” said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of 1199 SEIU in New Jersey.

The victory at Seniors Management North, Inc. comes on the heels of another win for 1199 SEIU caregivers at 13 long-term care centers operated by Genesis Health Care. There, more than 1,300 workers won a contract with better wages and additional contributions to their health and pension funds.

1199 SEIU is the largest healthcare workers union in the United States, representing more than 350,000 professional, technical, clerical and service workers, pharmacists, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nurses' aides and home health aides employed in pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, home care and social service agencies.