Nursing home workers from 24 nursing homes across the state — including one in Butler County — voted to send Unfair Labor Practice strike notices Monday.

A Monday news release from the Service Employees International Union said Guardian Healthcare and two chains owned by Mordy Lahasky – Comprehensive Healthcare and Priority Healthcare – have refused to meaningfully bargain over the use of agency staff or include the regulatory staffing ratios set to go into effect this year in the contracts, which has led to the union voting to strike.

The Grove at Harmony, which is a location of Comprehensive Healthcare, is among the nursing homes where employees plan to strike. A message left for The Grove at Harmony wasn’t immediately returned.

Other locations in the region include the Grove at New Castle, the Grove at Washington, Beaver Valley Healthcare & Rehab, Clarion Health & Rehab, Oil City Healthcare & Rehab, Belair Healthcare & Rehab and Uniontown Healthcare & Rehab.

The union’s news release further cites workers being overworked and underpaid as a reason for the strike, noting many have left for safer jobs with better pay, which has exacerbated the staffing crisis.

The union is demanding substantial increases in wages for all existing employees to retain them, employer-paid health insurance, protection of the existing contract in the event of a sale and assurance that employers will follow new state regulations governing staffing in nursing homes. Additionally, the union is demanding a written commitment from employers saying they will not interfere with workers who choose unionize.

Strikes are set to start Sept. 2. By law, nursing home administrators must receive a 10-day notice before a strike at a healthcare facility takes place.