Friday marked the beginning of a strike by employees at 14 nursing facilities in Pennsylvania, after marathon contract discussions failed to yield an agreement.
In a disagreement over salary, benefits, and staffing levels, over 700 unionized employees quit their jobs. Social media images and videos showed picket lines outside several of the residences, with employees holding banners and wearing purple SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania T-shirts.
Matthew Yarnell, president of SEIU, said, “Our aim has always been — and is — to get a fair contract that invests in this whole workforce and effectively addresses the staffing shortage.”
He accused the nursing home owners of “failing to set pay scales comparable to what we’ve achieved with other providers.”
Recently, state legislators and the administration of Democratic Governor Tom Wolf increased yearly Medicaid payments to nursing facilities by over $300 million and provided an additional $130 million in federal coronavirus funding to help nursing homes employ and retain personnel. Spotlight PA reports that striking employees are at disagreement with two for-profit nursing home owners, Comprehensive Healthcare and Priority Healthcare, about how this money will be used. The union pointed out that 15 Comprehensive facilities have been charged with wage fraud, while others have been punished for quality issues.
The meetings started Thursday morning and concluded early Friday morning without an agreement, with no more negotiations planned. A dozen counties in the state are affected by the strike. In the absence of a new contract, workers at four more nursing facilities in western Pennsylvania will join the strike on September 9.
The COVID-19 epidemic has exacerbated nursing facilities’ longstanding problem with excessive turnover. According to trade associations, Medicaid reimbursement delays forced the closure or downsizing of a number of establishments.
Pennsylvania has roughly 700 nursing facilities with a valid license.