Nurses at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood could be going on strike. On Wednesday, nurses represented by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike notice amid contract negotiations with the owner of the hospital, Allegheny Health Network.
The union announced 99.3% of its 650 West Penn nurses voted in favor of authorizing the strike, rejecting contract proposals from AHN as “inadequate to address the region’s nurse staffing crisis.” The nurses are calling for higher pay and expanded recruitment to add 100 registered nurse positions.
“We are committed to winning a contract that meets the growing patient care needs in the region,” said Kari Xander, a neonatal intensive care nurse and nurse union president at West Penn Hospital. “We don’t want to strike, but we’re ready to take action for our patients.”
Xander said in a statement that though nurses have made “some progress” in their negotiations, “We have not seen AHN commit to the levels of investment necessary to retain our current crop of experienced nurses and attract new staff.”
A date for a strike at West Penn Hospital has not yet been set. And a spokesperson for AHN downplayed the likelihood of such action in a statement Wednesday evening.
“This is a normal part of negotiations, and it does not mean that a strike will now occur,” said William Toland, AHN’s director of Public Relations, noting that the health network’s contract with SEIU was extended through Aug. 31.
“We are hopeful that, as in the past, this will not be necessary, and we look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with SEIU until an agreement is reached.”
At a rally last week, West Penn nurses pointed to gains made by their colleagues at Allegheny General Hospital in November. Those nurses negotiated a more than 20% increase in wages as well as a starting pay of $40 an hour by the end of the three-year contract. The union also won significant pay increases for senior nurses.
“AGH nurses set a standard for the rest of the region. Now it’s on us to carry the baton,” said emergency room nurse Jordan Markiewicz. “If we want patients in this region to receive the best possible care, we must raise standards for all nurses in the region.”
Markiewicz was joined by several dozen other nurses, supporters and family members at Friendship Park last week. Holding signs that read “More Scrubs, Less Suits,” nurses, politicians and labor leaders called on AHN to meet the demands of the union nurses.
“This is where I receive primary care,” said Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato. “This is our hospital, and because it’s our hospital, we want our nurses to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Congresswoman Summer Lee called expanding the nursing workforce to lower nurse to patient staffing ratios a “no brainer” and called on AHN to provide more staff and better pay to “help [nurses] to continue to do the incredible work they do.”
High staffing ratios continue to plague hospitals across Pennsylvania. The state is projected to have a shortage of 20,000 nurses by 2026, which could make it the worst in the nation. That’s despite record-breaking enrollment numbers at Pennsylvania nursing schools, according to the Hospital and Healthsystem Association.
The organization cites an aging and retiring workforce and more patients who need acute care as two reasons why Pennsylvania’s shortage is among the most severe.
The staffing shortage at West Penn has put a burden on the striking nurses, according to Markiewicz. She said fewer nurses means she has less time with each patient.
“It puts a moral strain on me when I don’t have time to help people in vital moments, like describing a scary procedure or providing emotional support to a patient and their loved ones in an emergency department on what is often the worst day of their lives,” she said.
The union also stressed a need for the hospital to keep experienced nurses to ensure adequate patient care. In order to do that, nurses are calling for better pay for senior staff.
Citing figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the union said last week that nurses in Allegheny County earn far less than their counterparts in other parts of the state and the country. Nurses in the region are paid 6% less than the average Pennsylvania nurse.
“We know how to do our job. We know what patients need,” said critical care nurse Mackenzie Reed. “We know how to give quality, safe and effective patient care. We want the resources to allow us to do that.”
Both sides noted Wednesday a willingness to come back to the bargaining table.
“At AHN, we remain committed to good-faith bargaining with the union and are optimistic that we can reach a contract agreement that is fair and competitive for our employees, while also fiscally responsible for our organization,” Toland said.
Xander said that nurses “don’t want to strike,” but that the vote “sends a clear message,” to AHN that “we’re not backing down.”
“We’re ready to take action for our patients,” she said.
