Carpenters union protests Mount Nittany Health following nonlocal hires on $350M project

A handful of union members protested outside Mount Nittany Medical Center this week and displayed an oversized “Shame on Mount Nittany Health” banner in response to its contractors bringing in nonlocal hires to construct a $350 million patient tower project.

According to Wade Baumgartner, a senior representative of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Union, such hires “undermine local area labor standards.” He accused those new hires of racking up around 50 complaints from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and accused Mount Nittany’s contractors of paying them lower wages and offering little to no health care and retirement benefits.

“It’s honestly just a big slap in the face from (Mount Nittany),” Baumgartner said. “Most recently, Mount Nittany had hired our guys to help build their Toftrees outpatient clinic, and that was a project that we had put a lot of extra hours into.

“I think we did a pretty good job and, from what we heard, they thought it was good too. So for them to go and bring in rule-bending, outside contractors for this tower project is a bit of a betrayal to us. Mount Nittany claims to be ‘here for you,’ but apparently isn’t here for local construction workers anymore.”

Baumgartner said if Mount Nittany would’ve stayed local with their hires, about 80 union employees could’ve taken up about 150,000 total man hours in the construction of a 10-story tower that should be finished by summer 2026.

When asked about the newest hires, a Mount Nittany spokesperson issued a written statement to the Centre Daily Times.

“In selecting partners, we assess each organization’s qualifications and commitment to excellence, tailored to the unique needs of each individual project,” spokesperson Tania Luciow said. “The new patient tower represents both an investment in the community’s health and a commitment to meet the evolving health care needs of the region.”

It wasn’t known how much of a financial difference hiring the nonlocal workforce might be.

At least one other local organization formally threw its support behind the carpenters union this past week. Seven Mountains AFL-CIO criticized Mount Nittany’s latest hires Wednesday and referred to Centre County’s second-largest employer as part of the problem.

“We have fought for years to address labor abuses in local construction,” said Connor Lewis, president of the Seven Mountains AFL-CIO. “Unfortunately, Mount Nittany has decided to become the face of the problem, rather than a leader in finding solutions. We urge them to change their course and prioritize our local community instead of pinching pennies on the backs of working families.”

The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Union represents more than 530,000 members throughout eight states. The union officially began in 1881.

This story was originally published October 11, 2024 at 4:18 PM.