A well-known Democratic politician from California made a stop at the picket line Wednesday to speak in support of striking Mount Nittany Medical Center workers.
U.S. Representative Ro Khanna is on a five-day tour through Pennsylvania.
“When I heard what they did to the nurses and the folks on strike, I said, ‘We have to show up here.’ It’s outrageous that they’ve taken away their healthcare for five days, even though they’ve paid into that healthcare insurance," Khanna said in an interview after his speech.
Khanna said Mount Nittany is acting illegally and retaliating against those on strike.
Hospital workers got emails from leadership saying they won’t get paid or have access to their benefits during the strike. SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the union representing hospital workers, filed two complaints to the National Labor Relations Board.
Mount Nittany officials have said they're acting legally under the National Labor Relations Act.
Hope Jasper, a hospital employee who also spoke at the event, said her husband's cancer is relapsing. He was supposed to start treatment last week, but they weren't sure if they could pay for the treatment if Jasper didn't have health insurance.
"He and I sat together before the strike vote and talked about where we were as a family," Jasper said. "He knows that being a nurse is a part of who I am. But not only that, that the hospital you work in becomes your family. And that our strike wasn't necessarily about the nurses, but it's about all my friends and coworkers who deserve a living wage."
Jasper said her husband's doctor is OK with him starting treatment next week, when her health insurance coverage is restored.
Mount Nittany offered a one-year contract extension with a 3% wage increase across the board, wage scale upgrades for 18 job classifications, investments in workplace safety and a $1,000 ratification bonus for each union employee. Some workers would get additional wage upgrades. The union rejected the offer, saying it’s not a fair increase.
Union workers plan to end their strike Saturday morning. The next bargaining meeting is scheduled for Monday.
