Geisinger’s unionized Luzerne County nurses sent a strike notice to the company on Thursday.
The strike will begin on Monday, Feb. 17, and last five days to, “protest unfair labor practices and advocate for the highest standards of quality patient care,” according to the union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare PA.
After returning to the negotiating table on Feb. 6, union members said Geisinger executives’ updated proposals did not address their priorities.
According to union representatives ahead of the Feb. 6 negotiation, the nurses’ top priorities were fair compensation, affordable healthcare, safety initiatives to protect staff and patients, and other solutions to understaffing.
An additional negotiating session was initially scheduled for Feb. 11.
The nurses also filed an unfair labor practice charge against Geisinger. They claim Geisinger violated federal law by “refusing to provide necessary information on healthcare costs, security and safety, nurse travelers and staffing, which is critical to resolving issues in negotiations,” according to the union.
“Geisinger values registered nurses and the compassionate work they do every day to care for our community. We respect the rights of our SEIU-affiliated colleagues to collectively bargain, and we look forward to our upcoming negotiation session on Tuesday, Feb. 11. We remain committed to finding a mutually agreeable labor contract so we can continue to work together to care for our community,” said Geisinger in a statement to WVIA.
“Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center is a critical health care resource for the people of this region. We will be activating our contingency plans to ensure that our hospital remains open to deliver high-quality care to everyone in need regardless of any labor actions,” said Geisinger.
The strike notice comes after the union voted to authorize a strike if necessary. The nurses have been working without a contract since their previous contract expired on Jan. 31. There are 800 union members in negotiations with Geisinger since November.
In a last-ditch effort to prevent a strike, they gathered Wednesday at Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square for a rally. They emphasized not wanting to go on strike, but feeling like there was no other way to get Geisinger’s attention.
