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WILKES-BARRE – Frustrated by what they see as insincere contract talks and general disrespect from new corporate employers, Wilkes-Barre General Hospital nurses and staff held a candlelight vigil on Monday evening to remind the community of the ongoing struggle.

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Donna Fox, a registered nurse, and her daughter, Hannah, joined with other nurses and those in support of Wilkes-Barre General Hospital’s nurses for a candlelight vigil to call for effective contract talks.

Aimee Dilger/the times leader

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Employees and their family members met at a lantern at the hospital’s entrance to increase public visibility, but with a symbolic significance, as well. “We’re standing vigil, just like the lantern,” said Stanley Wielgopolski. The vigil then moved to outside the hospital’s front door.

Wielgopolski and other registered nurses wore buttons that read “Respect Nurses.” He said the union, as part of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals, has come to the table honestly “to barter and negotiate,” but received only 30-minute audiences with Community Health Systems, a for-profit, Tennessee-based health-care company that bought the hospital in May as part of a $271 million deal for the entire Wyoming Valley Health Care System.

The event was one of several that nurses have held since their contract expired on July 1. Nurses are requesting, among other things, additional hires to replace lost employees, a wage increase that the previous contract guaranteed this coming Jan. 1 and adherence to existing regulations that limit mandatory overtime.

“They want to offer the nurses one thing, and one thing only,” said Terry Marcavage, staff representative with the hospital nurses’ union. “Quite frankly, it’s disturbing that they don’t want to deal with us.”

Carmen Attanasio, a registered nurse, said he personally knew of various situations in which the protracted talks have caused personnel losses. “A lot of younger nurses are leaving this hospital for greener pastures,” he said. “We want to enlighten the community to what’s going on. When we talk to people in the community, they don’t know what’s going on.”

The understaffing has caused an overnight nurse-to-patient ratio of 1 to 10, he said. While that was an unresolved issue under previous management, it has become concrete policy. “It’s a money-saving thing,” he said, adding that CHS is “totally disregarding” the illegality of requiring overtime past a shift.

A call made to hospital officials for comment Monday night was not immediately returned.

Rory Sweeney, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7418.