{"id":793753,"date":"2026-07-30T17:31:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:31:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793753\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T17:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T17:31:19","slug":"joined-by-labor-leaders-and-rep-ro-khanna-mount-nittany-workers-criticize-loss-of-health-benefits-during-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/793753\/","title":{"rendered":"Joined by Labor Leaders and Rep. Ro Khanna, Mount Nittany Workers Criticize Loss of Health Benefits During Strike"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mount Nittany Medical Center workers gathered with labor leaders, community supporters and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna on Wednesday afternoon for a labor tailgate at the hospital\u2019s picket line, marking the third day of a planned five-day strike<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A major point of contention during the strike, according to employees represented by SEIU Health Care PA, has been the hospital\u2019s decision to end health insurance benefits for bargaining unit workers during the work stoppage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Several workers shared personal concerns about losing health coverage during the strike, including registered nurse Hope Jasper, who described the impact the uncertainty created for her family.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jasper said her husband, who has non-Hodgkin\u2019s lymphoma, was preparing to begin treatment when employees were notified their health benefits could end during the strike. She said navigating a cancer diagnosis while worrying about insurance coverage added another layer of stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really was a gut punch,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was unclear why some people were getting them and some people weren\u2019t, and it just all kind of felt chaotic last night. So then to open it up and see like oh we\u2019re uninsured and logically I know there are options.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Evan Halfen | StateCollege.com<\/p>\n

A hospital spokesperson told StateCollege.com changes to benefits that would occur during a strike were communicated to affected employees two hours before the medical center received the official strike notice on July 9 and additional information was provided on July 15.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bargaining unit employees were informed their active benefits would end effective July 27 at 11:59 p.m. and would automatically resume once the strike concludes on Aug. 1.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Regarding union claims that employees had already paid their health care premiums, the spokesperson said employees pay standard biweekly health care premiums that are not prorated, according to the hospital\u2019s employee benefits guide.<\/p>\n

Wednesday\u2019s event, held at the picket line on the corner of Hospital Drive and East Park Avenue, brought together leaders from several labor organizations and Khanna, a Democratic congressman from California who was born and raised in Pennsylvania, who voiced support for the nearly 1,000 unionized Mount Nittany workers participating in the strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys have already paid for that health care,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I thought it was so outrageous that I had to stop here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Khanna said workers deserve wage increases that keep pace with inflation and rising costs, a key factor that led to the strike after months of negotiation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe inflation, the cost of gas, the cost of food has gone up 4%. How can you not have wages that at least go up at the rate of inflation?\u201d Khanna said. \u201cThey\u2019re not going to give you 4%; that just keeps you even. That\u2019s not a raise, that\u2019s how you stay even.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said the strike represents broader issues facing workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are standing not just for higher wages; you\u2019re standing for solidarity for the working and middle class that built this country,\u201d Khanna said. \u201cYou\u2019re standing for what is right, and I\u2019m proud to be here with you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., speaks at a rally for striking Mount Nittany Medical Center workers on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. Photo by Evan Halfen | StateCollege.com<\/p>\n

Contract negotiations began on April 29 and the previous three-year contract for about 950 employees in every hospital department expired on June 30.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The strike began Monday after members of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania voted to authorize a walkout following months of negotiations with Mount Nittany Medical Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Workers said they are seeking a contract that addresses workplace safety, wages, staffing and recruitment and retention efforts as the hospital continues expansion projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Josh Rosefsky, a Mount Nittany maintenance worker of 10 years, said employees spent months trying to reach an agreement before voting overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor three months of negotiations, we\u2019ve been open and clear that we can only keep providing the best care in the region if we invest in keeping these jobs competitive,\u201d Roszewski said. \u201cMount Nittany did not listen\u2026We voted by 98% to strike if necessary for an agreement that invests in all workers for quality care, and again, Mount Nittany did not listen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rosefsky said workers believe the hospital has the resources to address their concerns, pointing to Mount Nittany\u2019s financial performance while employees struggle with rising living costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMount Nittany is the fourth most profitable hospital in the whole state with a 30% total profit margin. That\u2019s more than three times the state average,\u201d Roszewski said. \u201cAnd while Mount Nittany carries out expansions in Centre County, workers are finding it harder to afford living in Centre County.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He criticized the hospital for spending money on replacement workers and security measures rather than investing in employees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are paying additional security guards to protect the hospital from us,\u201d Rosefsky said. \u201cThe staff who asked for these guards for months of negotiation, so our coworkers could be protected from workplace violence. They are spending millions of dollars on out-of-state replacement workers to do our jobs rather than investing in us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Registered nurse Fawn Guignet said the dispute is about more than individual job classifications and said workers across departments are essential to patient care.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here today because the executives at Mount Nittany seem to have forgotten that they\u2019re supposed to take care of our community,\u201d Guignet said. \u201cOur goal from the beginning of negotiations was an agreement that addresses serious workplace safety and violence, invests in all of us, and recruits and retains the workforce as the new tower opens.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Guignet said workers want a contract that recognizes the role every employee plays in the hospital\u2019s operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes a whole team of us from across all departments to make this hospital run, and we need to see everyone move forward,\u201d Gannett said. \u201cThe thing is that as a nurse, I can\u2019t do my job without every other person who is a part of our care team, and just because you\u2019re not patient-facing does not mean that you\u2019re not part of our care team.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said environmental services workers, technicians, imaging staff, dietary workers, maintenance employees and others are all part of providing patient care.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Labor leaders joined union members on the picket line, and Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto told workers that the strike had support from the organization\u2019s more than 700,000 union members statewide.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI am here today on behalf of the 700,000 union members we represent,\u201d Ferritto said. \u201cI\u2019m here to stand shoulder to shoulder with you, all of you, in solidarity in this fight, a fight for what is just, a fight for what is right, and what should be a bare minimum of our work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ferritto said health care workers and other hospital employees are responsible for keeping the medical center operating.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me be clear: you all make this hospital run. Every patient cared for, every family comforted, every repair made, every meal served,\u201d Ferritto said. \u201cYour work is the heart and soul of this community and each of us is better off for the work that you all do every day.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Connor Lewis, president of Seven Mountains AFL-CIO, said the turnout represented broad support from workers, families and community members.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at the folks that are here\u2013 co-workers, family members, community members, other union members,\u201d Lewis said. \u201cRight here, right now, you have the largest gathering of union members standing in solidarity in Center County history.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Shai McGowan, president of the State College Area Education Association, compared the concerns of educators and health care workers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEducation and healthcare may seem like different professions, but at their core, they are remarkably alike. They are both people-centered professions,\u201d McGowan said. \u201cEvery day, educators and healthcare workers dedicate themselves to improving the lives of others. We don\u2019t measure success by profits. We measure it by the people we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGowan also highlighted concerns about workplace safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery worker deserves to go home at the end of the day as safely as they arrived,\u201d McGowan said. \u201cWorkplace violence should never be accepted as just part of the job. It is not the fault of the employees who experience it, and it should never be treated as something workers simply have to endure.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Photo by Evan Halfen | StateCollege.com<\/p>\n

Jon Light, president of Teamsters Local 8, said workers had shown unity during the strike.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have shown true strength and unity by standing on the street, fighting for a fair contract, fighting for not just yourself but fighting for each other,\u201d Light said. \u201cUnbreakable solidarity will overcome corporate greed and win.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey thought that you all would not stick together,\u201d he added. \u201cThey thought when they said we\u2019re going to lock everyone out, everyone will be pissed off at each other, and people will quit their union. Guess what? You all leaned in with each other, and you\u2019re going to stand up together.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Workers and Mount Nittany Medical Center are expected to return to bargaining on Monday, Aug. 3, after the scheduled five-day strike concludes.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mount Nittany Medical Center workers gathered with labor leaders, community supporters and U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna on Wednesday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":793754,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[97,252,253],"class_list":["post-793753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=793753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/793753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/793754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=793753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=793753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=793753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}