“As essential healthcare workers caring for our community, we shouldn’t be forced to choose between paying rent or buying groceries,” said Stephanie Johnson-Yordy, a clinical technician at Geisinger Lewistown Hospital. “I’m tired of struggling to make ends meet, and trying to figure out which bills to put off another month.”

According to a statement released on Friday by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Pennsylvania, which represents the 150 workers who voted to authorize the strike, officials said the workers are not earning livable wages despite Geisinger and its corporate owner, Kaiser Permanente, earning billions in profits.

SEIU Healthcare PA said workers have been in union contract negotiations for months, and that their contract expired on Friday, Nov. 14.

Johnson-Yordy added, “We’re standing together to fight for the jobs we need to live, not just survive. With billions in profits and millions in CEO compensation, Kaiser-Geisinger must support frontline workers who put in the work.”

The workers include nursing assistants, environmental services workers who sanitize and clean the hospital, dietary aides, patient transporters, skilled maintenance and others who do the essential jobs to keep the hospital running.

According to the union, the largest proposed raises during the contract negotiations have been 26 cents per hour, which workers say is disrespectful of their hard work and vital contributions to the hospital.

“Geisinger can absolutely afford to pay us a living wage, but with pay so low, many of my co-workers are struggling to afford basic necessities like groceries, rent and utilities,” said Allysea Price, a dietary worker at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital. “I started working in healthcare 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.

“I could be making more by working at a local gas station, but I want to serve my community in healthcare,” Price added. “Geisinger needs to give us real pay raises that will help solve the high turnover rate, ensure quality care, and allow healthcare workers to live and work with dignity.”

As a form of protest, workers are planning a Thanksgiving rally at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at the United Steelworkers Hall, 519 Electric Ave., Lewistown. The rally will feature workers’ bills for costs, such as utilities and groceries, piled on top of an empty Thanksgiving dinner table, a union representative said.

In a statement, SEIU Healthcare PA said, “Corporate owner Kaiser Permanente, the largest non-profit healthcare corporation in the country, has made almost $8 billion in profits this year and the CEO made over $12 million in 2023. Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital made nearly $26 million in operating profit in fiscal year 2024. But many frontline workers are struggling to afford a basic Thanksgiving meal on poverty wages as low as $15.25.

It continued, “While executives make millions, many workers are forced to rely on government assistance for food and healthcare for their families. Inflation has increased the cost of living by nearly 25% in the past five years.”

In response to the announcement of a potential strike, a representative of Geisinger provided the following statement: “Geisinger values the critical contributions of our unionized staff at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital. We appreciate the expertise and compassion with which they support patient care. We respect their rights as SEIU members and are committed to ongoing good-faith bargaining to reach a mutually agreeable labor contract. While a member of Risant Health, Geisinger operates independently, and these negotiations are exclusively between Geisinger and the SEIU.”

SEIU Healthcare PA said workers will resume negotiations with Geisinger on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, to try to reach a new agreement and avoid the potential strike. If they do call a strike, they would provide the hospital with a 10-day notice to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.