FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
CONTACT: Megan Othersen Gorman / [email protected] / (215) 817-5781
Ashley Berry Johnson / [email protected] / (267) 990-5505
FAIR ACRES CAREGIVERS RATIFY NEW ONE-YEAR CONTRACT WITH DELAWARE COUNTY
Agreement Protects Healthcare Benefits and Recognizes the Value of Fair Acres’ Caregivers
MEDIA, PA—Today, the 165 frontline nurses, social workers, and dietitians at Fair Acres Geriatric Center who comprise Fair Acres United, a local of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP), came together to approve a 1-year contract extension with facility owner Delaware County.
The vote for the new 1-year contract, completed today at 7:00 p.m., was overwhelmingly in favor of ratification. 99% of Fair Acres United members voted YES.
The agreement approved by Fair Acres United members maintains the caregivers’ existing healthcare benefits without the significant concessions that had been proposed by Delaware County during negotiations. As a result, it provides Fair Acres’ dedicated caregivers with stability while recognizing the important partnership between the workforce and Delaware County in caring for the area’s most vulnerable residents.
“We are very proud of the agreement we fought for and won,” says Vicky Redden, LPN, a longtime Fair Acres nurse, president of Fair Acres United, and PASNAP Executive Board Member. “This contract recognizes that taking care of Fair Acres residents starts with taking care of the people who provide that care. We are grateful that we were able to reach an agreement that respects our members, respects the care we provide, and protects the benefits we rely on.”
With this 1-year deal, Fair Acres caregivers avoided the significant increases in healthcare costs and the reductions in short-term disability coverage that Delaware County Council had championed at the bargaining table. The agreement also guarantees a 2% raise, retroactive to July 1st, for all Fair Acres United members.
“This is a positive outcome for our members, for Fair Acres, and most importantly for the residents we serve,” says Ericka Schneider, BSN, RN, a 33-year Fair Acres nurse and member of Fair Acres United. “We love our residents and we are proud of the care we provide. Having a fair contract allows us to focus on what matters most—providing excellent care to the people of Delaware County.”
“Fair Acres is an important public institution, and the people who work here are deeply committed to its residents,” says Airresha Bush, LPN, a six-year Fair Acres nurse and vice president of Fair Acres United. “We are pleased that we were able to come together with Delaware County and find a path forward that values the workforce, supports the future of Fair Acres, and provides a solid foundation for continued collaboration.”
The agreement comes at an important time for Fair Acres.
More than once, the facility has been named one of America’s Best Nursing Homes by Newsweek and has earned a prestigious five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But in 2026, Fair Acres’ overall CMS rating dropped, in part due to staffing concerns. This agreement will help both the retention and recruitment of staff at a time when Fair Acres needs more skilled caregivers, not less.
“We greatly appreciate the willingness of the Delaware County Council to work with our members to reach this agreement,” Redden says. “Good labor-management relationships make Fair Acres stronger, and our members are ready to move forward together to do what we do best: care for the residents of Fair Acres.”
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Fair Acres United is an affiliate of PASNAP, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals, which represents more than 11,000 frontline nurses and allied professionals across Pennsylvania. PASNAP was founded 26 years ago to advocate locally and statewide for patient-centered care. Patients do better when critical care staff have a voice to advocate for their patients and themselves.
