(The Center Square) – As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, workers at a Pennsylvania hospital are preparing to strike for higher wages if necessary.
Union members at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital, a 133-bed facility in Lewistown, rallied Tuesday to draw attention to their cause. They insist Geisinger and parent company Kaiser are making huge profits while employees struggle to pay bills and put food on the table.
Geisinger has not issued a statement regarding the strike, which workers hope to avert with negotiations scheduled to resume Tuesday. The union says proposals from Geisinger with raises “as little as 26 cents per hour” are too low. Their contract ended Nov. 14.
The hospital has not yet responded to The Center Square’s request for comment.
Paige Duncan, a hospital transport worker, told The Center Square she struggles to decide between paying mortgage, buying groceries, and covering bills. On Tuesday, her $270 water and sewer bill was top of mind.
“As health care workers, we don’t want to strike, but with our wages right now, we can’t afford a Thanksgiving meal,” said Duncan.
She said she earns $15.30 per hour. That means after taxes, she’s bringing home just under $100 per day. For Duncan, three days of work to pay a water bill is untenable, but she pointed out that some of her coworkers make even less at $15.25 per hour.
Despite the reticence to start a strike that will impact the local community, Duncan says she has received support from her neighbors who understand how difficult it is to make ends meet.
Service Employees International Union says that the struggle of everyday people isn’t reflected in hospital profits. Kaiser has made close to $8 billion in profit so far this year. Geisinger Lewistown alone made $26 million in 2024.
“I started working in health care because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of my neighbors, but if I keep working here, I don’t know how I will afford to keep the lights on,” said Allysea Price, a dietary worker. “I could be making more by working at a local gas station, but I want to serve my community in health care. Geisinger needs to give us real pay raises that will help solve the high turnover rate, ensure quality care, and allow health care workers to live and work with dignity.”
Turnover rate has been a major issue across several different areas of health care across the state. From support workers to home care aides, retailers are offering higher pay to perform less stressful roles. The state has struggled to create conditions to balance high staffing demands with stubborn wages.
Lewistown is situated in rural Pennsylvania, just south of State College where Penn State’s main campus is located.
According to MIT’s Living Wage Calculator, a living wage for single adult in Mifflin County is $20.11. According to the union, it’s employees require $24 per hour to make a living wage in Lewistown. Inflation, per data from the U.S. Department of Labor, has risen nearly 25% since 2020. The minimum wage in Pennsylvania remains $7.25, mirroring the federal bottom.
Rural hospitals have been hit especially hard by the changing health care landscape. Uncompensated care, low reimbursement rates, and staffing shortages have all contributed to the closure of hospitals and independent practices alike.
