Geisinger, nurses union reach contract agreement after months of negotiating

WILKES-BARRE — After months of negotiating — and a five-day strike in February that caught national attention — over 800 unionized Geisinger Wyoming Valley nurses have reached a contract agreement with Geisinger executives. According to a release from SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the contract covers nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint in Pittston.

The contract includes the following benefits for the nurses:

• Raises of 13-26% over three years, with average wage increases of 18%.

• A commitment by Geisinger to create a new health plan or plans that are more affordable for their own employees and a strong voice for nurses in the decision-making process to create those plans.

• Safety and security provisions, such as a new Workplace Violence Committee, which nurses will be paid to participate in; annual in-person security training for all nurses on paid time; and legal support for nurses who have been assaulted.

• A new minimum of five hours of rest time for nurses before they are required to provide care while on-call. Improvements in pay for being on-call and fulfilling charge nurse duties.

• Protection of benefits that Geisinger proposed cutting, including mental health days and no on-call days for nurses over age 60.

These benefits satisfy a number of the union’s previously stated roadblocks with Geisinger, which included “the crisis of more than 300 unfilled nursing positions and severe understaffing, turnover and burnout that has been caused by a lack of competitive wages, exorbitant health care costs and rising workplace violence.”

“This victory proves that ​​when nurses stand together, united with our community, we can achieve really big things,” said Chrissy Minet, a registered nurse at Geisinger Wyoming Valley. “Going into this contract, we were completely worn down from severe understaffing, turnover and having to be constantly on-call. With better wages, benefits and safety, we can start to rebuild our local nursing workforce here. We especially want to thank our community members for standing with us, which was deeply heartwarming. Most importantly, this new contract benefits them because nurses will be better supported so we can deliver the highest standard of medical care.”

Negotiations between the union and Geisinger executives began in November. The nurses held a rally on Thursday, Feb. 5, and delivered their 10-day strike notice the following day. The strike then commenced on Monday, Feb. 17, when a contract was not agreed upon in the 10-day notice window. When the strike concluded on the morning of Saturday, Feb. 22, there was still no deal in place.

The negotiations were brought to national prominence when Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, showed support for the nurses on social media and met with their contract bargaining team over Zoom in March.

“This was my first time on our union contract negotiating committee, and the experience taught me that nurses have to stand up for what’s right — we can’t be afraid to speak up for our patients,” said Jimmy Romanelli, a registered nurse. “Back during the pandemic, Geisinger executives put up signs that loudly proclaimed us heroes. But COVID exposed and aggravated deep systemic problems in our health care system that were never addressed, especially understaffing, turnover and burnout. This contract victory is a huge leap forward in finally reckoning with this crisis. The wage increases, mandatory rest period for on-call, voice in our healthcare plan, increased security and other gains will help make nursing at Geisinger a sustainable career moving forward. I get very emotional when I think about the outpouring of community support we received. This proves that when nurses and regular people stand up to corporate executives, we can hold them accountable.”

Geisinger statement

Geisinger released the following statement regarding the contract being reached:

“Geisinger is pleased to have reached a mutually agreeable labor contract with our SEIU-represented registered nurses who play a critical role in the delivery of care at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and its campuses. Geisinger is committed to remaining a top place to work for all health care professionals in northeastern Pennsylvania, and this agreement positions SEIU registered nurses as regional leaders in compensation and benefits. We look forward to continuing caring for our community together.”

Bresnahan reacts

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan — whose 8th congressional district includes Geisinger Wyoming Valley, Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre, and Geisinger Healthplex CenterPoint — released a statement on Saturday afternoon regarding the contract being finalized:

“I am encouraged that Geisinger and our dedicated registered nurses have reached a fair and reasonable compromise on a new contract. This will ensure the more than 800 nurses are properly compensated for the essential care they provide the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am glad to see Geisinger come to the table in good faith to reach a deal, and I am thankful to see the nurses work together to secure what they have earned and deserve. This agreement reflects a shared commitment to patient care, respect for the vital role nurses play, and a recognition that collaboration is key to building a stronger, healthier future for all.”

“My fellow Geisinger nurses and I greatly appreciate Congressman Bresnahan’s efforts to help bring our union and Geisinger together to reach a new contract, which will help support, retain and recruit local nurses for quality care,” Minet said of Bresnahan’s contributions to the contract’s development. “We thank the Congressman for his leadership and look forward to working with him further to advocate for the highest standards for medical services, good union jobs and workers’ rights.”