NORTHAMPTON — After nearly a year without a contract and two years with no raise, about 600 Cooley Dickinson Hospital workers will receive an average wage increase of 21% over 20 months, among other gains in a new contract ratified unanimously this month.

“It’s been a long year, we fought hard, and I’m glad that we won a fair contract,” said Wendy Morin, a personal care assistant, unit secretary and union delegate.

“The people who are at the lowest part of the totem pole, they got the most significant raises, and that’s what we wanted,” Morin said. “Most people are happy with the raises and with the new contract.”

Raises will take effect starting on Dec. 14, 50 weeks after negotiations began.

Under the 26-month contract, current workers will make no less than $18 hourly by July 2024, and longtime workers will receive step increases based on their years of experience.

Full-time workers also received a $1,000 ratification bonus, which was prorated for part-time workers.

“This agreement was a collaborative effort, which reflects our shared dedication to improving patient care and addressing the needs and concerns of our colleagues,” Adam Bagni, communications director for Mass General Brigham, Cooley Dickinson’s parent organization, said in a statement. “We are proud of this milestone and excited to continue our ongoing commitment to provide exceptional care to our Pioneer Valley community.”

The workers, including respiratory therapists, ultrasound technicians, surgical and radiologic technologists and other titles — outside of nurses, administration and security — belong to the 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East union, which represents nearly 80,0000 health care workers across the state.

At a protest outside the hospital in October, employees rallying for a fair contract said that low pay has caused staffing, recruitment and retention issues at the hospital, trickling down to patient care.

Workers said that without enough aides on hospital units, patients have been falling, getting bedsores, and overall not receiving the standard of care that is expected.

In an effort to address recruitment and retention issues at the hospital, the contract includes a 43% increase to the weekend shift differential, a 44% increase to the call rate, and four additional holidays.

“To keep high quality care accessible and address the staffing crisis impacting communities all across the Commonwealth, we need to ensure that healthcare workers can afford to stay and thrive in the jobs and community they love,” Tim Foley, executive vice president of the union, said in a statement.

“This hard-fought agreement is a victory for not only the caregivers at Cooley Dickinson and those they care for, but for the future of care in western Massachusetts,” Foley said.

Equity and justice is another win in the contract, with a section stating that employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender identity, gender expression and other characteristics protected by law.

Morin said that “people are vicious to people of minority.”

“I just want everyone to be treated fairly because they’re not,” she said. “We had a couple of people that wear hijabs … and they no longer work here because they felt discriminated against.”

“Northampton is one big melting pot, so I just feel like everybody should be treated equally,” she said. “Hopefully with this new contract, that’ll happen.”

The agreement also states that the hospital and union will work together to address the impacts of structural racism, bias and other forms of discrimination on the workforce, according to Morin.

Bagni said the hospital’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is “unwavering and fundamental to our organization’s values.”

“While there is much more work to be done, we have demonstrated that commitment far beyond words through actions like Mass General Brigham’s United Against Racism initiative.”

Maddie Fabian can be reached at mfabian@gazettenet.com.