Local Leaders, Hundreds of Community Members Rally to Support Mount Nittany Workers Amid Strike 

Hundreds of healthcare workers, elected officials, labor leaders and community members packed the Teamsters Local 8 union hall Tuesday afternoon, rallying behind striking Mount Nittany Medical Center employees as they entered the second day of a five-day walkout over wages, staffing and alleged unfair labor practices. 

The “Heart of Our Community” rally, organized by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, was originally planned for downtown State College but was moved indoors due to severe weather. 

Workers filled the union hall waving red heart-shaped fans reading “Heart of Our Community” before returning to picket lines outside Mount Nittany Medical Center later in the day. 

The demonstration came one day after nearly 1,000 unionized went on strike following months of contract negotiations, saying Mount Nittany’s offers have failed to include wage increases that would keep pace with inflation and the rising cost of living in Centre County

The’ previous contract expired June 30, and union members voted by 98% on July 8 to issue notice for the strike. Bargaining is scheduled to resume Aug. 3. 

Throughout the hourlong rally, speakers praised hospital employees for their role in caring for the community while urging Mount Nittany Health leadership to reach a contract that addresses worker concerns. 

“We’re standing together because the workers of Mount Nittany Medical Center deserve better. Our whole community depends on it,” Centre County Commissioner Mark Higgins said. 

Hospital employees from multiple departments, and even life-long patients, shared personal stories about why they said they were fighting for a new contract. 

“I was born in this hospital. This is where my babies were born. This is the hospital my whole family has used,” Jess Mulroy, a registered nurse at Mount Nittany for 10 years, said. “When I was 19, Mount Nittany is where I was diagnosed with cancer when I was undergoing surgery and I did all my treatment at Mount Nittany. I’ll never forget how it felt to ring that bell at the cancer center at the end of my treatment. I’ll never forget how amazing all of those staff were during my time of need so I chose to be a nurse at Mount Nittany… It means so much to be there for patients at some of the worst points in their lives. 

“That’s why we’re standing here today. It’s impossible for us to give up on the highest standards of care for our patients and our community. It’s the heart of our community. Staff who are committed to upholding the highest standard of care because we care so much about our community…We need our leadership to come back and invest in us.” 

Alicia Sowash, a medical center phlebotomist, said negotiations have failed to produce meaningful movement on wages. 

“Mount Nittany executives have not budged on wage increases… making us and our community scared,” Sowash said. 

Mount Nittany’s most recent proposal on July 21, which a hospital spokesperson said was aimed at avoiding a strike, included a one-year contract extension with 3% across-the-board wage increase for all of its approximately 950 workers represented by SEIU Healthcare PA, as well as a $1,000 ratification bonus for every employee in the bargaining unit, wage scale upgrades for 18 job classifications and new investments in workplace safety.

Management’s offer prior to that was a three-year deal with 3% raises in the first year followed by 2% in the following two years, along with an additional 2% for registered nurses pay grade increases for 19 positions, bumps for weekend and preceptor differentials and a series of new workplace safety measures.

Several local and state officials also addressed the crowd, emphasizing the role healthcare workers play in the region and voicing support for their contract demands. 

“These hospital workers show up for you every day when you need it most, when you’re at your most vulnerable or when you’re trying to stay healthy,” State College Mayor Ezra Nanes said. 

“When the people who show up for you and sacrifice for you ask you to show up for them, you show up.” 

Nanes, whose family has relied on Mount Nittany Medical Center for care over the past 16 years, said workers deserve to share in the organization’s success. 

“The quality of life at your organization that you are helping to succeed, is growing and thriving, that’s really important,” Names said. “And that’s why I don’t need to be at the table to know that you are asking for something that you should be getting.”

State Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Rush Township, told workers they had earned the community’s support through the work they perform every day. 

“I’ve never worked for the bricks and mortar of Penn State. I’ve never worked for the bricks and mortar of a corporation, and I’ll be damned if I’ll work for the bricks and mortar of a hospital,” Conklin said. “I work for the people, the workers.” 

Conklin contrasted frontline healthcare workers with hospital executives, arguing that patient care depends on those providing hands-on treatment.

“The next time the ambulance pulls in, you stand back and see how many CEOs … come out to grab that gurney and take them in,” Conklin said. “You ask how many times they come down and after the operation’s done they clean up the emergency room, or ask them how many bedpans that they’ve emptied for somebody who’s sick and can’t move. And then you ask them this: Are you worth it? Are you worth what you do? And that’s what all this is about.”

“It’s about going out and making sure that when someone shows up —and that’s going to be somebody you love… somebody you need — [that] they’re treated with respect, they’re treated with honor, and they’re treated with dignity. That when they walk out, they know that they’ve been loved and somebody cared about them.” 

Other community leaders echoed that message. 

“You always support those who support you,” Central PA United Director Robert Ziegler said. 

“I know you. I may not know you personally but I know what you do for the people in our community. I’ve been to the hospital and have seen what you do,” Central PA United community leader Janet Irons said. “We are all connected in caregiving. You’ve been there for us when we needed it most and we need to be in there for you when you need it.” 

The strike began Monday morning when workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania left Mount Nittany Medical Center and satellite facilities to begin picketing outside the hospital. 

The union represents employees across nearly every department, including registered nurses, emergency department technicians, laboratory staff, certified nurse aides, environmental services workers, radiology technologists, maintenance employees, nutrition workers and phlebotomists. 

Union members say they are seeking across-the-board wage increases that will help with staff recruitment and retention, stronger workplace safety measures and an end to what they describe as “unfair labor practices.” They have also criticized hospital leadership, saying President and CEO Kathleen Rhine has not attended bargaining sessions despite serving as the organization’s top executive. 

Mount Nittany Health has maintained that it is committed to reaching “a fair agreement that recognizes our employees’ contributions while ensuring Mount Nittany Health remains a strong, independent health system able to continue serving our community.”

During the strike, Mount Nittany has “comprehensive plans in place to ensure patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care with as little disruption as possible,” according to the hospital.  The medical center, emergency department, physician offices and outpatient practices remain open and patients should keep scheduled appointments unless contacted otherwise. 

Entry to the Mount Nittany Medical Center is restricted to patients, families, approved visitors and employees on duty during the strike.

The strike is scheduled to continue through Friday. Workers are expected to remain on the picket line outside the medical center throughout the week before returning to the bargaining table with hospital management Monday, Aug. 3.

A labor tailgate will be held at the picket line at noon on Wednesday.