Unionized workers at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College and the hospital administration are going back to the bargaining table in September, with the two sides still in disagreement over pay raises after a five-day strike in July failed to lead to an agreement.
Following that strike by hospital staff, Mount Nittany reduced its offer for pay raises, pointing to concerns about the hospital’s long-term financial health. Hospital leaders said Mount Nittany recently recorded its first operating loss in more than a decade.
“We know that they are showing a deficit on paper," said Fawn Guignet, a registered nurse at the hospital and member of the union’s bargaining team. "Exactly what that (deficit) entails, I am not sure, because we can also see that there's still income. There’s still profit.”
Guignet said they’re seeking more financial information from Mount Nittany leaders. Still, Guignet said, the union is ready to start bargaining again. But she did not rule out another strike.
“A strike is never our goal," Guignet said. "If we have to do it, then OK.”
Guignet said union members would have to vote to approve another strike before it happens. Union members overwhelmingly approved the last strike.
According to Mount Nittany officials, the next bargaining meetings will take place Sept. 3 and 9.
