Nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley begin five-day strike

PLAINS TWP. — Amid freezing temperatures and high winds, hundreds of unionized registered nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley began a historic five-day walkout at 7 a.m. Monday to protest what they claim are unfair labor practices.

The strike, which is said to be the first nurses strike in the history of Geisinger, began following months of negotiations between Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Geisinger that have yet to produce a new, mutually agreed upon contract.

Nurses at three Geisinger locations — the main medical center, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint in Pittston — participated in the strike, which is expected to continue until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Bundled up against the cold in heavy coats, hats and gloves, nurses at the main medical center in Plains Twp. began assembling along East Mountain Boulevard just after sunrise.

While some nurses walked off the job Monday, others assembled ahead of time and arrived just off campus in Martz buses.

Taking to the picket lines, the nurses carried homemade signs that read, “Essential not expendable” and “Called heroes treated like zero.” Some also rang cowbells as passing cars honked their horns in support.

Since negotiations began late last year, registered nurses at Geisinger have been vocal about their demands for fair wages, affordable health care and better staffing and retention.

Union officials in previous statements said the strike is in protest of a “crisis of over 300 unfilled nursing positions and severe understaffing, turnover and burnout that has been caused by a lack of competitive wages, exorbitant health care costs and rising workplace violence.”

Geisinger responds

Geisinger facilities are expected to remain open amid the strike. The health care provider said in a statement issued Monday that it has brought on additional, temporary staff and does not expect to postpone any procedures or elective surgeries during the strike.

Geisinger also acknowledged the “critical role” union nurses play in the delivery of care at the three locations.

“We value their commitment to our community, and we respect their right to collectively bargain. Throughout this negotiation cycle, we’ve been committed to good-faith bargaining to reach a mutually agreeable labor contract. Our offers have been comprehensive, competitive and sustainable. They reflect a significant increase from the compensation and benefits package that SEIU agreed to and celebrated as historic in 2022,” the statement read.

Additionally, Geisinger said it is currently facing the same challenges other health care providers are facing nationwide, including increasingly high operating costs and poor reimbursement — particularly from the Federal Government.

However, Geisinger said it “continues to offer its union-affiliated registered nurses region-leading compensation and benefits. We’ve offered a starting salary of more than $85,000 per year for full-time nurses with yearly increases and comprehensive health benefits.”

Although it recently became part of Risant Health, created by Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Geisinger reiterated that it “is an independent health system that receives no operating funds from Risant.”