SerpApi.Org
Mount Nittany Medical Center and the union representing hundreds of its workers remain at odds after another round of contract negotiations ended Tuesday without a new labor agreement, keeping a five-day strike on track to begin Monday.
It would be the first work stoppage at the hospital since 2004 and would involve about 950 registered nurses, lab technicians, maintenance workers and other employees represented by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.
Mount Nittany said it proposed a one-year contract extension that included a 3% wage increase and $1,000 ratification bonus for all bargaining unit employees. The offer also included wage scale upgrades for 18 job classifications and investments in workplace safety.
The hospital said the union did not counter and instead ended negotiations without further discussion.
“While we are disappointed that an agreement was not reached, we remain committed to bargaining in good faith and remain prepared to return to the negotiating table at any time,” the health system said in a statement.
Alicia Sowash, a nutrition and culinary services employee, said workers were extremely disappointed that Mount Nittany did not significantly change its position on wage increases despite calling the union back to the bargaining table.
Workers sent an email Tuesday urging health system President and CEO Kathleen Rhine to attend negotiations, but Sowash’s statement said it was “clear that the person with real decision-making power is not here to face our negotiating committee and provide answers.”
“There is no substitute for direct conversations when the future of our hospital, our workforce, and our community’s care are at stake. Her presence would demonstrate that reaching a fair agreement is a priority for Mount Nittany,” Sowash said.
“... We feel disrespected that Mount Nittany still won’t invest in wages that keep up with inflation, when Mount Nittany made $183 million in profits, is purchasing new buildings, and just constructed a multimillion dollar tower. They keep calling us back to negotiations when we feel like they’re not serious about an agreement that recruits and retains experienced workers.”
She also said management is intimidating workers for taking collective action. The union has filed two unfair labor practice claims against the hospital, both of which allege coercive statements involving threats and benefits. Both are pending before the National Labor Relations Board.
Connor Lewis, president of Seven Mountains AFL-CIO, said a strike is “squarely the fault of absentee CEO Kathleen Rhine and Mount Nittany management.”
“By squandering months of bargaining and prioritizing profit and greed over patient care and workers, they have done a grave disservice to both their workers and the Centre County community while tarnishing the name of our community’s hospital,” Lewis said in a written statement.
“Seven Mountains AFL-CIO stands shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with SEIU Healthcare PA and Mount Nittany healthcare workers. By taking strike action as a last resort, they are showing the power working people have to fight for better workplaces and dignity on the job. Striking isn’t just for them, it’s for all of us, and working families will be there with them.”
Months of negotiations have failed to produce a new labor agreement and much of the public back-and-forth has focused on wages.
Mount Nittany previously offered a 7% general wage increase spread over three years, but the union sought 14.25% over that time. It led to 98% of union members voting for a five-day strike.
Based on public reports, Mount Nittany Medical Center’s operating margin - a key measure of financial performance - stood at a healthy 17.94% in the latest fiscal year, more than double the statewide hospital average of 7.15%. Between that and varied construction projects, union members have painted the hospital more as unwilling, as opposed to unable, when it came to increasing wages.
Mount Nittany has said its goal is to reach an agreement that “recognizes our employees’ contributions while ensuring Mount Nittany Health remains a strong, independent health system able to continue serving our community.”
Should the strike come to pass, the health system said it has comprehensive plans in place to ensure patients receive care with as little disruption as possible. The hospital, emergency department, physician practices and outpatient clinics would continue to operate as normal and patients were told to keep their scheduled appointments unless they were contacted directly by the health system.
