SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- After months of intense negotiations, nearly 5,000 frontline healthcare workers at Sharp HealthCare have ratified their first union contract. The workers, represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), include professionals at multiple campuses, including Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Sharp HospiceCare, Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center, and Sharp Metropolitan Medical Campus. Those who are part of SEIU-UHW include a wide array of essential workers, such as certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, phlebotomists, pharmacy technicians, respiratory care practitioners, lab technicians, and many more. Residents protest proposed high-rise in Pacific Beach On Saturday, they celebrated the ratification of what they described as "a groundbreaking three-year agreement" that promises substantial improvements in wages and benefits, as well as working conditions. Key highlights of the new contract include the following: Pay increases up to 35%: The agreement includes raises to ensure fair compensation for the healthcare workforce. The new pay scales are designed to retain workers while ensuring equal pay for equal work across Sharp’s various facilities. Family medical coverage: A new provision will reduce premiums for workers and their families, lowering costs by up to 50%. This measure will ease the financial burden on frontline workers. Unified union contract: In a groundbreaking move, all SEIU-UHW-represented workers at Sharp HealthCare will now be covered by a single collective bargaining agreement, promoting uniform standards across all facilities for patient care and working conditions. “We are gratified that after 18 months of negotiations, our common interests ultimately took center stage, resulting in a mutually agreeable contract,” said Christopher D. Howard, president and CEO of Sharp HealthCare. “We feel that the teams solidified an agreement that respects, values and rewards our Sharp team members and allows the parties to turn the page and focus on the future of Sharp HealthCare, as well as our commitment to caring for the San Diego community.” The ratification follows a lengthy 18-month process that began with historic union votes across Sharp campuses. The negotiations involved a range of key issues affecting both workers and patients. “Frontline workers at Sharp HealthCare have shown what is possible through unity,” said Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW. “We want to express our profound gratitude to Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su and the Biden administration for their support of workers’ right to bargain collectively and their efforts to help the parties reach an agreement that addresses the needs of Sharp HealthCare workers and their patients." The successful ratification of the contract marks a turning point in the relationship between Sharp HealthCare and its workers, setting a new standard for healthcare labor agreements in the region.