Health care workers at Butler Memorial Hospital are preparing to strike if a contract with the hospital’s owner isn’t reached soon.
More than 230 surgical techs, respiratory therapists, licensed practical nurses and radiology techs voted 92% in favor of authorizing a strike back in April.
On Friday, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals submitted the union’s 10-day strike notice to the hospital’s owner, Independence Health System.
If a strike happens, the union says, members will walk off the job at 6 a.m. on May 19, with 500 nurses planning to join them on the picket line.
“The community depends on us to provide care for their families,” said Tara Erskine, a computed tomography tech and bargaining committee member. “All we’re asking of Independence Health is that they value both care for the community and those of us providing that care.”
Among the workers’ demands are the creation of a wage scale and safe staffing measures.
Independence Health System provided Channel 11 with this statement:
“Butler Memorial Hospital (BMH) has received a ten‑day notice from PASNAP indicating the union’s intent to initiate a strike on May 19 if negotiations do not result in an agreement. While we respect the union’s right to provide notice, ten days neither reflects the significance and complexity of the issues being negotiated nor offers a meaningful path toward resolution.
“BMH remains prepared to meet and bargain in good faith to reach an agreement and avoid a work stoppage. Our priority is uninterrupted patient care and a safe workplace. Contingency staffing plans are being put in place to ensure continuity of care should a strike occur.”
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