Nursing homes in Lower Burrell, North Huntingdon among 24 statewide set to strike

Employees of nursing homes in Lower Burrell and North Huntingdon are among those at 24 long-term care facilities in the state who voted to strike, claiming unfair labor practices and a lack of accountability, according to union officials.

Four of the nursing homes are owned by Comprehensive Healthcare, which operates The Grove at Irwin along Maus Drive in North Huntingdon.

Also affected by the strike would be Belair Healthcare & Rehab on Little Drive in Lower Burrell. It is one of 10 facilities in the state operated by Guardian Healthcare.

Officials from The Grove and Belair Healthcare & Rehab did not return calls seeking comment.

Employees at nine facilities operated by Priority Healthcare, as well as an independent nursing home in Schuylkill County, also have voted to strike, according to the union, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.

Shannon McBride, a certified nursing assistant in Southwestern Pa., said the union’s decision was not made lightly.

”Nobody ever wants to go on strike,” she said. “We are doing this for the residents. They are like family to us. They suffer when we don’t have enough staff.”

Union officials allege the operators of the facilities have received about $600 million in state funding for staffing, wages and resident care but have refused to provide details about how the money is being spent along with failing to negotiate in good faith.

By law, the union must give nursing home administrators a 10-day notice before going on strike, which is set to begin Sept. 2.

The union also is accusing nursing home operators of failing to bargain in good faith by offering raises that are lower than last year despite the infusion of cash from the state. Union officials say the $600 million from the state is taxpayer money and requires the facilities to spend 70% of it to fund staffing and bedside care.

“We worked hard to get these nursing homes funding,” McBride said. “They are still not offering a fair contract and wages to give us the staffing we need.”

Nursing home employees said staffing levels at many of the facilities are maintained by hiring workers from private agencies.

“Our nursing home operates on agency staff almost every week, and they are paid two or three times more, and we even have to train them,” said Donna Pronio, a certified nursing assistant in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

“They also don’t have the bonds and connections with residents like we do, so residents suffer, Pronio said. “The money spent on agency could — and should — be spent on hiring full-time permanent staff, and investing in those of us who have been here for years.

“We have been the backbone of our nursing home and struggled through covid — many of us brought covid home to our families and one of our coworkers even died. Yet they can’t even offer us health care we can afford.”

To fairly compensate and retain workers, the union is calling for a minimum hourly wage of $16 an hour for dietary, housekeeping and other support staff; $20 an hour for certified nursing assistants; and $25 an hour for licensed practical nurses.

The union also is calling for additional increases to recognize longevity and seniority to retain experienced workers.

Employer-paid health insurance and “successorship language,” which would protect an existing labor agreement if a facility is sold, also are among the demands being made by the union.

“Our residents deserve quality care,” said Karen Hipple, a nurse from Oil City. “This is their home, and they need enough staff to feed them, clean them and provide what they need to live with dignity. No one ever wants to go on strike, but we are left with no choice if these nursing home owners won’t invest in staffing.”

The nursing homes where employees have voted to strike:

Comprehensive Healthcare

• The Grove at Irwin, North Huntingdon

• The Grove at New Castle, New Castle

• The Grove at Harmony, Harmony

• The Grove at Washington, Washington

Guardian Healthcare

• Belair Healthcare & Rehab: Lower Burrell

• Beaver Valley Healthcare & Rehab, Beaver Falls

• Clarion Health & Rehab, Clarion

• Meyersdale Healthcare & Rehab, Meyersdale

• Oil City Healthcare & Rehab, Oil City

• Riverside Rehab & Nursing, Taylor

• Titusville Healthcare & Rehab, Titusville

• Uniontown Healthcare & Rehab, Uniontown

• Guardian Elder Care at Nanticoke

• Richland Healthcare & Rehab, Johnstown

Priority Healthcare

• The Meadows at Blue Ridge, Camp Hill

• The Meadows at West Shore, Camp Hill

• The Gardens at Easton/Praxis, Easton

• Rose City Nursing & Rehab at Lancaster

• The Meadows at York Terrace, Pottsville

• Fairlane Gardens Nursing & Rehab at Reading

• The Gardens at Wyoming Valley, Wilkes-Barre

• The Gardens at East Mountain, Wilkes-Barre

• The Meadows at Stroud, East Stroudsburg

Other ownership

Shenandoah Heights Healthcare, Shenandoah