Mount Nittany Medical Center and the union representing hundreds of its employees will continue negotiating a new contract after failing to reach an agreement by the expiration of their previous three-year deal on Wednesday.
Hospital administration and the negotiating committee for about 950 workers represented by SEIU Healthcare PA have been engaged in talks since late April. Registered nurse Jessica Mulroy said in a statement that they made progress on Tuesday, “but Mount Nittany has yet to make the kind of progress we need to ensure we have the strongest workforce for quality care.”
A Mount Nittany spokesperson said management continues “actively engaging in good-faith negotiations with the union.”
“Our goal is to reach a fair and balanced agreement that not only supports our staff but also upholds our responsibility to deliver accessible and compassionate care to our community,” the spokesperson wrote in an email.
Negotiations will continue next week, but in the meantime, union members will vote Thursday on whether to authorize their bargaining committee to issue a strike notice if a new agreement cannot be reached.
“Costs of living have skyrocketed in Centre County, but wages for all workers have not kept up,” Mulroy said. “We are united for a contract that invests in all of us who make this hospital run, so we can continue to provide award-winning care to our community.”
Union members said in April that they are seeking wages that can retain and recruit staff across all departments, and pointed to studies that show adequate staffing is critical to health care workplace safety. The union says Mount Nittany has the resources to invest in staff retention and recruitment, pointing to its healthy balance sheet and significant capital projects, like the new patient tower at the hospital.
Most Mount Nittany Medical Center workers in all departments are represented by the union, and Mulroy said it is important that they all see appropriate wage increases.
“As a nurse, I rely on all workers across the hospital to do our job and deliver excellent care – EMTs and paramedics who start life-saving treatment before patients even arrive, lab technicians who ensure accurate and timely tests, environmental services workers who disinfect rooms, nutrition workers who prepare healing meals, and many, many more,” she said.
On June 22, the union reported management made an offer of no wage increase in 2026 and increases of 1% each of the following two years.
The Mount Nittany spokesperson said on Wednesday that the hospital has presented a proposal that includes a 4% wage increase for registered nurses in the first year, new new pay differentials for precepting and weekend shifts and “a 2% across-the-board wage increase for all union members, as well as any seniority-based wage increases employees are eligible to receive under the current contract.”
The proposal also would move 12 positions into higher pay grades, resulting in wage increases ranging from 2% to 12% in the first year.
If the union does decide to strike, the National Labor Relations Act requires a 10-day notice.
Mount Nittany officials, however, are hopeful it won’t come to that.
“While we recognize this as a standard part of the collective bargaining process, we remain hopeful that continued discussions will lead to a mutually beneficial agreement,” the spokesperson said. “Our focus remains on finding common ground through productive negotiations.”
“At the same time, we have plans in place to ensure we can continue providing safe, high-quality care should a strike occur. Our highest priority remains the patients and communities who rely on us every day, and we are committed to minimizing any disruption while continuing to work toward an agreement that supports our employees and the long-term future of our independent health system.”
