Unionized workers at Allegheny Valley Hospital vote to authorize a strike

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Unionized nurses at Allegheny Valley Hospital voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, making it the second Allegheny Health Network hospital to announce a potential strike in two weeks.

The nurses, represented by Service Employees International Union Healthcare PA, voted 99% in favor on Friday of authorizing a potential work stoppage.

"Nobody wants to strike, but we are ready to stand up for our patients and our professions, if necessary," said Kristi Valasek, emergency department nurse at Allegheny Valley Hospital. "There's an urgent need to raise standards for patient care and staff retention across the southwestern Pennsylvania hospitals, and we're prepared to lead the way."

According to the union, nurses and hospital workers have been calling for more investment in the recruitment and retention of frontline staff at the hospital. They also said that AHN has to go further in improving pay at the region's hospitals.

"We voted to authorize a strike because we know our community is counting on us to recruit and retain the staff who will be there for them when they come to AVH," said Samantha Nagy, acute rehab patient care technician. "It's historic to see two hospitals taking a stand like this at the same time, and it shows that hospital workers across the region are serious about making these large health systems take real action to address the staffing crisis."

The vote at Allegheny Valley Hospital comes j ust a week after nurses at West Penn Hospital authorized a strike following negotiations with AHN.

Both of the unionized staff at both hospitals have said that negotiations have failed to result in agreements.