Harrisburg, PA — Healthcare workers from across south-central Pennsylvania rallied at the State Capitol on Friday, urging lawmakers to enact stronger workplace safety requirements at UPMC facilities after a series of violent incidents, including a spring shooting in York and a brutal assault in Altoona last week.
SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania delivered a petition with more than 5,000 signatures to members of the state House, calling for immediate reforms at the nonprofit health giant. Union leaders say the push follows months of escalating threats and attacks inside hospitals, with frontline staff bearing the brunt of the violence.
Dozens of workers from UPMC Memorial Hospital in York joined the event, citing a March 1 shooting that left a nurse and a security officer wounded. Their testimonies were echoed by colleagues from UPMC Altoona, where a patient care technician was critically injured on Nov. 10 after being attacked by a patient, according to union officials and local reports.
“We treat people at their most vulnerable, and too often we’re the ones left unprotected,” one York nurse said during the rally. “We need more than words—we need a plan and the staff to carry it out.”
What workers want from lawmakers
The petition asks the General Assembly to require every hospital in Pennsylvania to implement a comprehensive violence prevention plan, beef up security in high-risk areas, and provide annual de-escalation training for all staff. The union also wants clear bans on weapons inside facilities and stronger reporting and enforcement standards so incidents do not fall through the cracks.
Union representatives say the measures are aimed at prevention, not punishment. They argue that chronic understaffing and inconsistent training leave nurses, technicians, and aides vulnerable—and, by extension, put patients at risk. A 2024 union survey found most workers felt their units did not have enough staff to keep patients and employees safe.
Support builds under the dome
Several House Democrats stood with workers at the Capitol and said they intend to introduce legislation in the coming weeks. Lawmakers discussed proposals that would set minimum safety requirements, boost oversight, and encourage hospitals to dedicate budget dollars to security and training. Some Republicans signaled willingness to review a bipartisan plan, while cautioning that mandates must be balanced with costs.
Committee leaders said they are studying models used in other states and reviewing Pennsylvania’s existing reporting rules, which require hospitals to log incidents but have limited enforcement. Advocates say those requirements alone have not curbed violence on the floor.
UPMC says it is investing, reviewing incidents
In a statement, UPMC said it remains committed to worker safety and has increased investments in security, training, and technology in recent years. The health system said it maintains 24/7 security across its hospitals and offers de-escalation programs, and it is reviewing the Altoona assault alongside authorities.
UPMC did not directly address the petition’s specific demands but said it supports efforts that enhance safety without disrupting patient care. The union counters that safety efforts have been uneven and reactive, pointing to the York and Altoona cases as evidence that policies on paper aren’t protecting staff on the floor.
Rising violence fuels urgency
Pennsylvania has seen a steady increase in reported assaults and threats against healthcare workers since the pandemic, according to state data and industry reports. Experts say a mix of staffing shortages, behavioral health needs, and frayed public trust has created more volatile hospital environments. Researchers have warned that without stronger prevention strategies and stable staffing, nurse turnover is likely to climb, complicating patient care and driving costs.
What’s next
Lawmakers are expected to unveil a bill by early December. The union says it will keep pressing until hospitals are required to adopt prevention plans with teeth, and it has not ruled out additional actions if progress stalls. Regulators are reviewing the Altoona incident, while workers in York say the March shooting remains a constant reminder of how quickly routine care can turn dangerous.
“This isn’t about politics,” a York worker said after the rally. “It’s about going home safe at the end of a shift.”
