Nurses Picket Outside Lower Bucks Hospital Seeking Better Contract, Improved Staffing

Nurses from Lower Bucks Hospital held a picket outside the facility Monday morning to put pressure on Prime Healthcare as contract talks are underway.

The nurses, who are part of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP), held signs and flags calling for a new contract and improved staffing levels.

The nurses claim that the California-based Prime Healthcare, which owns the hospital, prioritizes profits over patient care.

“The nurses at Lower Bucks Hospital – some of whom have spent their entire careers here – are fiercely loyal to our patients, to our community, and to our hospital,” said ICU nurse Shirley Crowell, who serves as co-president of the Nurses Association of Lower Bucks Hospital. “But we shouldn’t have to beg for a decent healthcare plan or for wages that are comparable to those offered at surrounding hospitals. Where is the respect for what we bring to the bedside? Where is the respect for patient care?” 

Michelle Aliprantis, the spokesperson for the hospital, said the hospital follows staffing laws and provides support to staff.

“We have been negotiating with PASNAP since early September for a new collective bargaining agreement. We are scheduled to meet with the Union again, and we’re hopeful we can come to an agreement soon to continue providing excellent care to our patients without interruption. Unfortunately, rather than focus on bargaining a fair contract for our nurses, the Union has chosen to picket,” she said.

Aliprantis added: “While we are disappointed that the union has elected to move forward with picketing, we respect their right to do so as part of the negotiation process. We value all our employees and their dedication to caring for our community, and we look forward to reaching an agreement that benefits our employees and all those we serve.”

The hospital emergency room remained open during the hours-long picketing at the facility driveway along Bath Road.

Aliprantis said the hospital was able to continue delivering services despite the picket.

Members of the nurses union said the emergency department can have two nurses and no housekeeping staff during some nighttime shifts.

A statement from the union said the “hospital is short-staffed on a daily basis due to massive employee vacancies caused by poor compensation and benefits.”

ICU nurse Anna Carlin, who serves as co-president of the Nurses Association of Lower Bucks Hospital, said the hospital needs to provide a better healthcare plan for members to help attract new staff and keep the ones already working at the Bristol Township facility.

Amanda Whitaker, a nurse at the hospital, said she is still fighting with Prime Healthcare over a bill for her son’s hospital stay due to a life-threatening illness.

“We’re in healthcare and we can’t even afford health care. It’s wrong on so many levels,” she said.

Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo and Bucks County Controller Pamela Van Blunk, both Republicans running for commissioner, were at the picket. A few minutes later, Commissioner Chairperson Bob Harvie and Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, the Democratic running mates, were also at the event. Additionally, State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, a Democrat, was in attendance.

DiGirolamo said his daughter is a nurse and he hopes the Lower Bucks Hospital nurses get a fair contract.

Speaking to the nurses, Van Blunk shared her recent hospital experience due to an illness and expressed her understanding of the nurses’ important role, adding that her mother had been a nurse.

Harvie said the picket showcased the fight between the nurses who want better conditions and the for-profit company that owns the hospital.

“They’re really not just fighting for themselves, but they’re for a whole survival of the middle class,” Harvie said of the nurses.

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