Allegheny General Hospital nurses authorize potential strike amid contract negotiations

PITTSBURGH — Unionized nurses at Allegheny General Hospital (AGH) have voted to authorize a potential strike.

According to SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, the nurses are seeking compensation improvements that will address staffing shortages and improvements for patient and nurse safety.

The nurses’ previous contract has been extended while negotiations with Allegheny Health Network (AHN) continue, but the union said a strike notice could be issued any day.

Union nurses at Allegheny General Hospital say this vote is to send a message.

“I want them to hear the staff that are crying out for help,” said Natalia Rodriguez, a Registered Nurse at Allegheny General Hospital. “We are crying to them asking for them to help us.”

Rodriguez has worked at AGH for the last two years. She finished her schooling during COVID-19, and despite all of the added stress of the pandemic, she’s never lost her love for her career.

“People need to be cared for,” Rodriguez said. “They need advocates, right? And that’s what nurses do. We advocate for our patients.”

Now, those nurses are advocating for themselves as they work to get a new contract from Allegheny General. Right now — nurses say they are at a breaking point, being underpaid and overworked.

“There’s no shortage of nurses. There’s a shortage of nurses who are willing to work in the conditions that are present in all of the hospitals around here right now,” said Annalee Yobbi, a Flight Nurse at Allegheny General.

The union is asking for nurses to start at $40 per hour at minimum, and mid-career and senior nurses would have higher increases. Those are just some things Yobbi, a flight nurse, said would help that staffing crisis.

“This institution is a destination provider,” Yobbi said. “People come from all over the country to seek care here, they should be a destination employer as well.”

AGH issued a statement to Channel 11 on the status of contract negotiations. It reads:

“As AGH continues to engage in good-faith contract negotiations with our SEIU represented nurses, we are confident that an agreement can and will be reached that is fair and competitive for our employees. With several additional bargaining sessions scheduled this week, we prefer to keep those discussions at the bargaining table, where they will be most productive in helping us achieve a resolution that is in the best interests of our nurses, our organization, and the patients we care for. We are aware that the SEIU bargaining committee has received approval by members to authorize a work stoppage. This is a normal part of negotiations and it does not mean that a strike will occur. Rather, this authorization gives the bargaining committee the authority to issue a 10-day strike notice, if they feel it’s appropriate. We are hopeful that, as in the past, this will not be necessary, and we look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with the SEUI until an agreement is reached.”

David Moon, who was at the hospital with his wife for an appointment, stands with the nurses and said they need the support. He agrees they should be paid more.

There are negotiations scheduled through the rest of this week, and nurses hope those negotiations can be successful.

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