The union represents 800 registered nurses at the organization, according to an SEIU news release shared with Becker’s. Geisinger Wyoming Valley is part of Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger, which has about 25,000 employees total.
Union members voted to authorize a strike in January. Nurses’ labor contract expired on Jan. 31, according to SEIU. In a statement shared with Becker’s, Geisinger said it values nurses and respects their right to collectively bargain.
The union contends that during bargaining, management has made proposals that did not adequately address what it says is severe understaffing, turnover and burnout — issues caused by a lack of competitive pay, exorbitant healthcare costs, and rising workplace violence.
“Nurses’ top priorities are compensation that leads hospitals in the region to improve recruitment and retention; affordable healthcare benefits for themselves and their families; safety initiatives that protect staff and patients; and other provisions that help solve understaffing,” SEIU said.
“We look forward to our upcoming negotiation session on Tuesday, Feb. 11,” Geisinger said. “We remain committed to finding a mutually agreeable labor contract so we can continue to work together to care for our community.”
