Hundreds of workers from 14 Pennsylvania nursing homes went on strike Friday after contract negotiations failed to produce a deal, frustrating state officials who recently approved an aid package meant to bolster staff recruitment and retention in the long-term care industry. About 700 unionized workers walked off the job in a dispute over pay, benefits and staffing levels. Those on strike include workers at The Grove in Washington. “Our goal has always been — and continues to be — to get a fair contract that invests in this entire workforce and will meaningfully address the staffing crisis,” said Matthew Yarnell, SEIU president. He accused the nursing home operators of “failing to create the kind of wage scales we’ve been able to achieve with other providers.” Nursing homes have long struggled with high turnover, which the COVID-19 pandemic made worse, and some facilities were forced to close or downsize because of lagging Medicaid reimbursements, according to trade groups. State lawmakers and the administration of Gov. Tom Wolf recently hiked Medicaid payments to nursing homes by nearly $300 million annually and sent another $130 million in federal coronavirus aid to help them hire and retain workers. The additional Medicaid funding represents a 17.5% increase, or about $35 more per resident per day. Elizabeth Rementer, a spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, called the strike “unfortunate and completely avoidable” in light of the new funding.