Northside Medical Center Issues Statement on Vote
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The administration of Northside Medical Center released a statement this morning regarding the collective bargaining agreement ratified yesterday by registered nurses who are represented by the Ohio Nurses Association.
The statement suggests that ValleyCare Health Systems of Ohio believes management came out the winner in the 18-month dispute, which included a one-day strike last year by nurses.
The nurses union has not issued a formal statement. Should one be released, it will be posted at BusinessJournalDaily.com.
What follows is text from ValleyCare's statement:
"Registered nurses covered by the collective bargaining agreement have accepted the hospital’s terms. The new, 12-month contract mirrors those contracts previously accepted by all other represented employees across ValleyCare. The previous ONA contract expired in July 2012; the new agreement contains no retroactivity provisions.
"Significant issues of the agreement include competitive wage increases which the hospital has sought to provide for its nurses for well over a year. The economic terms of the new agreement are the same as those in the hospital’s final offer that was provided to the union in August 2013.
"The contract also includes comprehensive benefits with the affordable medical insurance plan provided to all other ValleyCare employees, and low volume staff flexing terms that are the same as those previously ratified by five other ValleyCare bargaining units. The contract allows the hospital to flex staffing levels during period of low volume, which is a standard practice across the hospital industry. More than 300 registered nurses are covered by the collective bargaining agreement.
"We value all of our employees and are pleased to have finally reached an agreement that allows us to provide wage increases that we have wanted our nurses to have," said Trish Hrina, vice president of marketing and public relations for Northside and ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. “Regardless of any distractions, our hospital remained focused on our primary purpose of providing patients with high quality, compassionate care.”
MORE:
Northside Nurses Approve 1-Year Labor Contract
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