The union representing health care workers, including nurses at Maui Memorial Medical Center, has reached an agreement on a new, four-year contract with Maui Health.

The United Nurses and Health Care Employees of Hawaii, which represents more than 900 workers at Maui Health, said this afternoon its members voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new, four-year contract with their employer.

UNHCEH said the new contract, which covers Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital, makes “historic gains” toward goals set out from the start of negotiations — with significant raises for the lowest paid workers, including clerical staff and receptionists.

Negotiations began on July 22, with agreement reached after 26 bargaining sessions between the two parties.

Among terms of the new contract:

>> Lowest-paid workers will get raises between 27% and nearly 50% over four years.

>> All union members’ wages will increase at a minimum of 21% up to 97.5% over the life of the agreement. The contract addresses gaps for per diem workers, plus offers a differential.

>> The union also says the contract achieved enforceable staffing levels and standards. Registered nurses and nurse management will review ratios for every department, and address staffing concern forms on a regular basis.

“Our members fought hard, with a lot of public support, and we won a historic contract,” said Matt Pelc, UNHCEH chair, in a news release. “We won a comprehensive plan to develop staffing ratios and have them enforceable through our contract, a system specific to our hospital that will make Maui Health a safe place to be a patient.”

Pelc, a CT tech, said he believes this is the first contract in the state to offer a differential for per diem (per day) workers.

According to the union, which had been prepared to call for a second strike, the two parties reached a tentative agreement on Dec. 20, before the holidays.

Over the past five days, starting Thursday, members cast anonymous votes. The votes were counted today, approving the new contract.

The agreement comes after a historic, three-day strike by the union workers in early November, followed by the passage of a Maui County Council resolution later that month urging Maui Health to settle the negotiations.

Maui Health, an affiliate of Kaiser Permanente, had said it was committed to collaborating on a flexible staffing model while being responsive to fluctuating patients’ needs at Maui Memorial, the only acute care hospital serving three islands.

The contract runs retroactively from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2028.