From staff reports

STATE COLLEGE — Union employees at Mount Nittany Medical Center have voted to authorize a five-day strike beginning July 27 after contract negotiations failed to produce a new labor agreement.

According to SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, approximately 950 hospital workers voted July 8 to authorize the strike, with 98% voting in favor. The union said members will hold a news conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the vote and urge hospital officials to invest in employees and patient care.

The union said workers are seeking wage increases that keep pace with inflation and contend Mount Nittany Medical Center has the financial resources to meet their demands. Negotiations for a new contract began April 29, and the previous agreement expired June 30.

“I chose Mount Nittany because I wanted to care for the community I love with the highest standards of care,” Jess Mulroy, a registered nurse at Mount Nittany for 10 years and vice president of the hospital’s SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania chapter, said in a news release. “All of us, from patient-facing care to maintenance, lab and nutrition, take pride in the care we provide patients. But I’m getting more and more worried that the standards this hospital used to be known for will fall backward without a serious, fair investment in the workforce.”

The union said Mount Nittany Medical Center reported more than $509 million in revenue and $183 million in profit during fiscal year 2025 and argued the hospital can afford higher wages for employees.

SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania represents workers in a wide range of hospital departments, including registered nurses, emergency department technicians, laboratory technicians, maintenance staff, pharmacists, certified nursing assistants, environmental services employees, radiology technologists and dietary aides.

Union officials said they remain committed to bargaining and hope to reach a contract agreement before the planned strike begins.