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WILKES-BARRE — Frustrated with a lack of progress on contract negotiations, registered nurses at two Northeastern Pennsylvania hospitals have given union representatives the green light to strike “if necessary.”

Contracts for nearly 1,500 RNs at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, First Hospital in Kingston and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton have expired, according to a joint press release issued Friday by SEIU Health Care and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP).

Three months of negotiations with for-profit owner Community Health Systems Inc. have proved fruitless, union officials added, and RNs at two of the facilities — First and Moses Taylor — have authorized their bargaining committees to send a 10-day strike notice if necessary, the release states.

“A strike is not imminent and no date is set,” the release states. “But the vote means if negotiations continue to be unproductive at those hospitals, nurses are prepared to go on strike.”

The unions representing CHS nurses also called attention to a “strong new union contract” which was ratified Thursday by more than 600 registered nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township, saying that four-year pact “puts in place positive changes to improve bedside care and recruit and retain experienced, skilled nurses.”

First Hospital, Moses Taylor and Geisinger Wyoming Valley RNs are represented by SEIU, while Wilkes-Barre General RNs are represented by PASNAP.

The hospitals are part of the Commonwealth Health system, whose network also includes Regional Hospital of Scranton, Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock and Berwick Hospital Center.

“We do not want to go on strike, but after three months of negotiations, CHS has rejected every proposal for improvements we’ve put forward,” said Jen Kamla, an operating room nurse at Moses Taylor Hospital.

Hospital officials said they remain committed to dialogue.

“We are engaged in good faith negotiations with the union under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services by mutual agreement, and hope to reach a mutual successor agreement through collective bargaining,” said Elizabeth Leo, chief human resources officer for Moses Taylor.

Clayton Nottelmann, chief human resources officer for Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, similarly said that negotiations with SEIU are “ongoing” regarding First Hospital, and that Wilkes-Barre General Hospital “is in the midst of negotiations with PASNAP toward a new agreement.”

“Nurses, like all of our employees, are valued for their caring and service in support of patients,” Nottelmann said.

CHS’ finances in focus

The unions took aim at CHS, which had a nationwide operating income of over $18 billion in 2016, the statement said.

Other reports suggest the Tennessee-based company actually posted an overall loss of $1.7 billion in 2016, and CHS made headlines in the past two years for a series of divestitures which followed. The company has been selling off hospitals in many parts of the nation, including here in Pennsylvania.

A CHS corporate spokeswoman in Tennessee did not respond to a request for comment regarding the company’s finances.

CHS previously announced it is divesting additional hospitals in 2018, but has not yet said which ones.

“We are committed to delivering safe, quality care, and wish CHS would work with us to settle a contract that makes our hospital better,” Kamla added. “It’s frustrating, but we are determined to make sure our hospital can compete and our patients come first.”

Geisinger deal terms

Union officials said the Geisinger Wyoming Valley contract includes:

• Improved staffing language so nurses have more input into staffing needs of their patients.

• Changes to on-call use to prevent nurse burnout.

• Guaranteed yearly wage increases of 3 percent.

• Better training for nurses who float between departments.

• A student loan assistance program for nurses who stay at the hospital for more than 10 years.

“We congratulate our fellow nurses at Geisinger Wyoming Valley for achieving their contract,” said Elaine Weale, RN, Wilkes-Barre General local president.

“As RNs, our priority is patient care and we know how important it is to have conditions in place that assure nurses are at their patients’ bedside. We are determined to reach an agreement that would put our patients before profits at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.”

Labor contracts for registered nurses at First Hospital in Kingston, seen here, as well as at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton have expired, and unions representing nearly 1,500 nurses say contract talks have been unproductive. Nurses at First and Moses Taylor have given union representatives the green light to strike ‘if necessary,’ but no date has been set.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL020318First-Hospital1-4.jpg.optimal.jpgLabor contracts for registered nurses at First Hospital in Kingston, seen here, as well as at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital and Moses Taylor Hospital in Scranton have expired, and unions representing nearly 1,500 nurses say contract talks have been unproductive. Nurses at First and Moses Taylor have given union representatives the green light to strike ‘if necessary,’ but no date has been set. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader
RNs at First Hospital, Moses Taylor cite lack of contract progress

By Roger DuPuis

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