Geisinger and its unionized nurses in the Wyoming Valley have still not reached a labor agreement in the wake of last week's five-day strike and two additional negotiating sessions this week.
But bargaining is expected to continue next week, on March 5 and 6, after what the union called “productive conversations” this week.
Eight-hundred nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint, who are represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare PA, went on strike from Feb. 17-21. The walkout followed failed negotiations to reach a new contract after the previous labor deal expired on Jan. 31.
The nurses have said Geisinger executives failed to address their most pressing concerns of understaffing, low pay, affordable healthcare and workplace safety.
"Geisinger remains committed to good-faith negotiation with SEIU to reach a mutually agreeable labor contract for the registered nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and its campuses," the health system said in a statement issued Friday.
"We are pleased to have had productive conversations this week, and we look forward to continued bargaining on Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6," Geisinger's statement added.
