Geisinger and its unionized Luzerne County nurses have returned to the negotiating table as of Wednesday.
Both parties said they want to see the strike come to a close by the end of the planned five days. Nurses intend to return to work by Saturday.
No breakthroughs came out of today's negotiating session, according to a union spokesperson. However, two additional sessions have been scheduled for Feb. 26 and 27. The union said it will evaluate any proposal Geisinger executives send before those dates.
"We are committed to good-faith bargaining to reach a mutually agreeable labor contract," Geisinger told WVIA in a statement.
Wednesday marked day three of the expected five-day strike by unionized registered nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint.
The union, represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare PA, will hold a "Candlelight Vigil to Illuminate the Crisis at Geisinger" today at 5 p.m. on Wilkes-Barre's Public Square.
Nurses will join with family members and other community supporters in what the union calls, "action aimed at spotlighting the crisis of over 300 unfilled nursing positions and severe understaffing, turnover and burnout at Geisinger Wyoming Valley."
Previously, they held a Feb. 5 rally at the same location as a last ditch effort to avert a strike. Their contact expired Jan. 31.
Their official strike announcement came the following day, after the union said Geisinger executives failed to address their most pressing concerns of understaffing, low pay, affordable healthcare and workplace safety in their Feb. 6 negotiations. Eight-hundred nurses have been negotiating with Geisinger since November.
Geisinger's impacted facilities do not expect to postpone any procedures or elective surgeries at this time. It is operating under its contingency plan, which involves hiring temporary staff to fill gaps left by striking nurses.
