Northside Nurses Approve 1-Year Labor Contract
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Registered nurses at Northside Medical Center have a contract for the first time in 18 months, following a vote yesterday by members of their bargaining unit. The agreement ends a contentious dispute that erupted into a one-day strike and criticisms by the nurses of the for-profit corporation that owns the hospital.
THe Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association voted yesterday at the Teamsters Local 377 hall to accept a one-year contract with Northside, confirmed Scott Stephens, a spokesman for the American Federation of Teachers. Last year, the Ohio Nurses Association, which YGDNA is affiliated with, aligned itself with AFT.
Northside is operated by ValleyCare Health System of Ohio, a subsidiary of Community Health Systems Inc. CHS purchased Northside and other operating assets of Forum Health Inc. in 2010.
The nurses voted at sessions at noon, 4 and 8 p.m. on the pact, which is retroactive to the salary scale when Northside was operated by Forum Health. Nurses will see a minimum pay increase of 2.5% under the pact, depending on their pay rate and how long they have been employed at Northside.
In September, registered nurses staged a one-day walkout at Northside. When they attempted to return the next day, some nurses received letters informing them their back-to-work date was delayed while replacement staff were permitted to fulfill their contracted days. About a month later, ValleyCare announced a reduction of about 56 fill-time equivalent positions at Northside affecting nursing, respiratory, imaging and laboratory employees, both union and nonunion.
In August, ValleyCare also announced a layoff for 77 full-time equivalent positions. ValleyCare also operates Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland. CHS, based in the Nashville, Tenn., suburb of Franklin, earlier this week completed a merger with Florida-based Health Management Associates Inc.
Copyright 2014 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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