December 15, 2004
Nurses on strike at St. Louis-area hospital
AHANews
Registered nurses represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union went on strike at 5 a.m. today at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center in Creve Coeur, MO. The union represents 1,750 nurses at the hospital, but more than half of the nurses scheduled to work this morning crossed picket lines to care for their patients, the hospital said. The hospital has arranged for temporary nurses, nurse supervisors and managers, and nurse volunteers from other hospitals in the Sisters of Mercy Health System to fill in for strikers. “It is business as usual inside the hospital,” said Chris Crain, chief nurse executive. The hospital wants nurses to have the option to choose or reject union membership on an individual basis, a proposal the union has rejected. A federal mediator assigned to the contract talks has not called for further meetings, but the hospital said it remains open to further talks with the union.

November 17, 2004
Forum plans to lay off 53 workers
Youngstown Vindicator Wednesday
YOUNGSTOWN Forum Health intends to lay off about 53 employees systemwide by Dec. 11 as it addresses decreasing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, and increasing costs.
www.vindy.com/basic/news/290852510178472.php

November 15, 2004
UNA-Forum Health Negotiations, Youngstown
AFSCME 2026 (UNA) recently ratified a renewal CBA with Forum Health. The general terms of the renewal are as follows: ·

• 3 year agreement -- many of the economic items were a result of parity issues with the Hospital's CBA with ONA

• Added a mediation alternative to the grievance and arbitration process

• Added a mentoring shift differential for defined mentoring activities

• Increased call-in work/pay guarantee from 3 hours to 4 hours

• 401(k) -- increased employer match from 25% to 32% of employee contributions up to 4%

• Moved bargaining unit to Forum Health Plan (no premium contribution by employees before or now)

• Retiree medical bridge payment (for term of this agreement only); nurses 62 years of age and with 20+ years of service who retire receive health care benefits by paying 50% of the group rate until they reach age 65

• Added 2 personal holidays in 3rd year of contract

• Eligible for 5 weeks of vacation after 20 years of service (instead of 25)

• Graduated increase in sick leave accrual -- 72 days to 81 days 1st year; 100 days 2nd year; and 110 days 3rd year

• Develop limitations on use of per diem employees

• Staffing -- move toward system that enables Hospital to cancel most expensive (premium paid) nurses first

November 10, 2004
Labor Panel Favors Nurses in 2001 Strike
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Some Twin Cities hospitals improperly conducted "economic warfare" in 2001 by refusing to hire nurses who were on strike against Fairview Health Services, a national labor panel has ruled. The National Labor Relations Board last week upheld a federal administrative judge's 2002 ruling in favor of the Minnesota Nurses Association, the union representing registered nurses.
http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/5077884.html

November 5, 2004
California Moves to Freeze Nurse-Patient Ratio
San Francisco Chronicle
In a post-election blow to powerful nursing unions, the Schwarzenegger administration moved Thursday to ease some requirements of the state's
first-in-the-nation law telling hospitals how many nurses they must have on hand to care for patients.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/11/05/BAG2L9MKQO1.DTL

November, 3, 2004
LMHS nurses approve contract
Lima News
LIMA The members of the Lima Memorial Professional Nurses Association got a jump on Election Day, ratifying a new, two-year contract Monday.
www.statehealthclips.com/rd.htm?http://www.limanews.com/story.php?IDnum=9239

October 26, 2004
California Hospitals Need 25% More Nurses
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles County's five public hospitals are more than 25% short of the number of nurses they need to fully comply with state laws on nurse-patient ratios, and officials doubt they can substantially increase the nursing ranks anytime soon. The data comes amid a bitter labor dispute between the county and its nurses, at least 160 of whom in recent months have refused orders from their managers to treat more patients than the law allows. Service Employees International Union Local 660, the union representing nurses, filed complaints Monday with the state, claiming that the county doesn't have enough nurses to safely care for patients. County officials deny they are jeopardizing the health of patients but acknowledge they are not in full compliance with the ratios. See More

October 8, 2004
Nurses Strike Averted
ONN
A service employees strike scheduled for 7am at Weirton Medical Center has been called off.
www.ohionewsnetwork.com/Global/story.asp?S=2403315&nav=LQlCRlmp

September 16, 2004
Twin City announces layoffs as part of cutback plan
New Philadelphia Times Reporter
DENNISON Five layoffs and a reduction in hours of other employees are projected to save Twin City Hospital more than $300,000 during the course of a year.
www.timesreporter.com/left.php?ID=33662&r=3

September 15, 2004
Strike under way at WMC
Steubenville Herald-Star
WEIRTON - Weirton Medical Center's employees unionized under the Service Employees International Union District 1199 took to the picket line this morning for a one-day strike after the union and hospital failed to reach an initial collective bargaining agreement Tuesday.
www.hsconnect.com/news/story/0915202004_new02news091504.asp

September 14, 2004
Michigan Nurses OK 3-Year Pact
Detroit Free Press
Striking registered nurses at Mt. Clemens General Hospital overwhelmingly approved a contract Monday that provides smaller raises than previous offers, but guarantees the hospital will hire more nurses. The 3-year pact gives nurses 2-percent raises in each year, rather than 3 percent in a previous contract the nurses rejected last month. In exchange, Mt. Clemens General is to add the equivalent of 25 full-time
registered nurses to its staff. The nurses also avoided losing any paid time off by agreeing to the smaller raises and forfeiting retroactive increases.
www.freep.com/money/business/mtclemens14e_20040914.htm

September 2, 2004
Local Company Pays For Employees' Education
WCMH- Columbus
Wagner runs the Grant, Riverside and Doctors program. The GRAD program is a project that helps Ohio Health workers by paying them and their dependents to train for new jobs.
www.ohcapcon.com/pressrel/20040902-wcmh.htm

August 25, 2004
Nurses at U-M Ratify 4-year Deal
Ann Arbor News
At a time when other nursing unions in Michigan and their employers are still battling over contracts, the University of Michigan Health System's 3,000 unionized nurses ratified a new, four-year contract Friday. Nurses voted in favor of the contract by a 4-to-1 ratio. The contract, which U-M officials say ensures high wage levels relative to the rest of the market, includes compensation increases of 12.5 to 26 percent over the life of the contract. Those increases are in the form of lump sum payments as well as wage increases.
www.mlive.com/business/aanews/index.ssf?/base/business-2/1093445192300280.xml

August 11, 2004
Harrison Community Hospital, Cadiz, Ohio
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, in the face of an NLRB petition, disclaimed interest and withdrew from further representation of a registered nurse voting unit at the hospital.

Aug. 5, 2004
Discord Over Dismissals
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON--Stillwater Center employees and others picketed Wednesday outside the Montgomery County Administration building to show support for nurses who were fired over allegations of improper care of a child and falsification of the boy's medical records.
www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/localnews/daily/0805stillwater.html

Aug. 3, 2004
Forum Health Nurses Ratify 3-Year Contract
Youngstown Business Journal
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- The Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association voted Saturday night to ratify a three-year contract with the Forum Health Northside Medical Center.
www.business-journal.com/ForumRatifies.asp

July 16, 2004
28 laid off at hospital in Alliance
Canton Repository
ALLIANCE Layoff notices were given to 28 Alliance Community Hospital employees as the medical facility attempts to cut expenses.
www.cantonrepository.com/index.php?Category=5&ID=172384&r=8

July 5, 2004
Group of OSU Medical Center employees wants union representation
ONN
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- About 400 employees of the Ohio State University Medical Center want to unionize for better pay and working conditions.
www.ohionewsnetwork.com/Global/story.asp?S=1996008

June 29, 2004
Akron nurses end walkout by approving three-year contract
ONN
AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Striking nurses at Akron General Medical Center approved a three-year contract on Monday, ending a walkout that began June 17.
www.ohionewsnetwork.com/Global/story.asp?S=1949170&nav=LQlCOGeW

June 29, 2004
AGMC nurses approve contract
Akron Beacon Journal
They cheered and whistled. They hugged and cried. The strike was over. ``Overwhelming acceptance, guys,'' union secretary Holly Klein shouted to about 100 striking nurses on the picket line Monday afternoon. ``Absolutely overwhelming.''
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/9037011.htm

June 29, 2004
Akron General nurses OK three-year contract
Cleveland Plain Dealer
The nurses union at Akron General Medical Center overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract Monday, ending a 12-day strike for improved wages and health benefits.
www.cleveland.com/world/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1088501600213210.xml

June 28, 2004
AGMC nurses meet today to vote on pact
Akron Beacon Journal
Nurses on strike from Akron General Medical Center will have ratification meetings and a vote today that could result in the acceptance of a new contract.
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/9029907.htm

June 27, 2004
AGMC, nurses agree on deal
Akron Beacon Journal
Tentative contract said to have raises and other improvements. Ratification vote likely Monday||A tentative contract agreement was reached Saturday between Akron General Medical Center and nurses who went on strike June 17.
www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/9024085.htm

June 27, 2004
Akron nurses, hospital agree on deal to raise pay
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Striking nurses and Akron General Medical Center officials reached a tentative agreement Saturday to end the walkout that has caused patients to be diverted to other hospitals. ||The nurses, who wanted pay raises and improved health care benefits, are scheduled to vote on the new contract Monday.
www.cleveland.com/summit/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/summit/1088328832108432.xml

June 26, 2004
Nursing strike different this time around
Akron Beacon Journal
In 1983, when the three-month strike by nurses at Akron General Medical Center finally ended, the mood was not one of celebration.
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/9018669.htm

June 22, 2004
Nurses and AGMC to consult mediator
Akron Beacon Journal
Striking Akron General Medical Center nurses and hospital officials were scheduled to meet with a federal mediator at 10 a.m. today -- the first such meeting since the strike began Thursday.
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/8981831.htm

June 18, 2004
Hospital cuts back as nurses walk out
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron General Medical Center scaled back operations Thursday as the union representing 650 of its registered nurses went on strike for the first time in more than 20 years.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/8955542.htm

June 17, 2004
Akron General nurses reject pact, OK strike
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Nurses at Akron General voted to strike Wednesday night after efforts failed to solve key differences over salary, pension and health benefits.
www.cleveland.com/world/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/108746485347450.xml

June 14, 2004
AGMC Nurses Reject Offer
Akron Beacon Journal
Unionized registered nurses at Akron General Medical Center on Sunday rejected what was termed as the hospital's best and final contract offer. Holly Klein, a spokeswoman for the Professional Staff Nurses Association, the union which represents the 650 nurses, said members "overwhelmingly rejected'' the offer, though she was unable to give a final tally.
www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/8918216.htm

June 10, 2004
Hopkins Hospital Workers OK Pact
Baltimore Sun
About 1,700 support staff workers at Johns Hopkins Hospital voted yesterday to approve a new labor contract, while the union representing employees at two other area hospitals continued to negotiate with a strike deadline looming tomorrow morning. The Greater Baltimore Medical Center and Sinai Hospital are trying to reach a deal with the Service Employees International Union 1199E-DC. It represents a total of 1,000 housekeeping, maintenance, food service and other workers at both
hospitals. Union officials plan a two-day strike beginning at 6 a.m. tomorrow.
www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-bz.hospital10jun10,0,5331578.story?coll=bal-business-headlines

June 8, 2004
Nurses May Strike Over Work Shifts, Benefits
Akron Beacon Journal
The 650 registered nurses at Akron General Medical Center voted over the weekend to strike in 10 days, if negotiations with the hospital don't address their concerns, including mandatory overtime, rotating shifts and the rising cost of health-care benefits. The current contract expires at midnight on June 16. Negotiating sessions between the nurses and the hospital are scheduled Wednesday and Thursday. A hospital spokesman said management is confident a strike will be averted.
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/local/8867291.htm

June 3, 2004
Nurses, others on strike at New Jersey hospital, though talks continue
Registered nurses and other health professionals represented by the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union went on strike at 7 a.m. yesterday at Bergen Regional Medical Center in Paramus, NJ, after failing to reach agreement on staffing and salary issues in contract talks with the hospital, a hospital spokesperson told AHA News Now. However, the contract talks resumed yesterday evening and are schedule to continue tomorrow. The union represents about 420 RNs, pharmacists, social workers, mental health and other health professionals at the hospital, which said it is functioning fully with the help of agency and temporary replacement nurses, management personnel who are nurses, and union members who have crossed the picket line to work.

June 2, 2004
PRN affiliates with SEIU
Physicians for Responsible Negotiation, a labor union for physicians and residents launched by the American Medical Association in 1999, has affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, the SEIU announced yesterday. PRN, which has about 20,000 members, will join the SEIU's two other doctors' union affiliates, the Committee of Interns and Residents and the Doctors Council, under SEIU's umbrella organization for doctors, the National Doctors Alliance, SEIU said. The AMA in March
announced that it and PRN had mutually decided to part ways.

May 12, 2004
Visiting Nurse Service, Toledo -- CBA Negotiations
The Visiting Nurse Service in Toledo, also known as the Toledo District Nurses Association ("TDNA"), recently completed the renegotiation of their registered nurse contract with ONA. The 3-year contract included new language allowing TDNA to establish premium share for its basic health insurance plan stating that annual employee premium increases are limited to 5% each year if the employee premium share exceeds 20% of the total premium share owed by the employer, a fifty cent ($.50) reduction in evening shift differential, recognition of weekend holidays as actual days of occurrence for pay and scheduling purposes, reduction in funeral leave, an increase of the mandatory extended hour sign up requirements from two to three shifts per month, and new language prohibiting nurses from adding unused break time to their daily time records. The negotiated wage increases were 3.5% in year one and 3.0% in years two and three of the contract. In addition, TDNA will contribute an annual 2% lump sum longevity contribution to the 403(b) plan of nurses with ten or more years of service until the nurses' defined benefit plan is unfrozen.

May 12, 2004
Forum Health/Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital, Warren -- CBA Negotiations
Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Warren (Forum Health) recently renegotiated its collective bargaining agreement with its nursing support, clerical, technical, environmental services, maintenance and nutritional services employees represented by AFSCME Local 2288. Highlights of the 4-year agreement included significant revision of the layoff procedure giving Hillside the ability to properly staff its departments in the event of a workforce reduction, first day sick pay for all employees, increased part-time employee sick leave accrual from two hours to four hours per month, an overtime limitation of no more than two consecutive days and no more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period for 24-hour departments, increased shift differential to sixty cents ($.60) for weekdays and seventy cents ($.70) for weekends, and moving all members to the Forum Health insurance plan. Nurse Assistants, LPN's, Environmental Service Technicians, Occupational Therapy Aides, and Physical Therapy Aides received a fifty-five cent ($.55) base wage adjustment in year one with no further percentage wage increase in year one, a 2.5% increase in year two, and a 3% increase in years three and four of the agreement. All other employees received a 2.5% wage increase each year. The Speech Audiologist, Case Management Assistant, Vocational Program Aide, Center Clerk, X-Ray Aide and Nursing Secretary also moved to the next pay grade in year one in addition to the general wage increase.

April 30, 2004
Labor Department Issues New Overtime Rules
The U.S. Labor Department has issued its final regulations governing overtime eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act. Intended to clarify which "white collar" workers are entitled to overtime pay, the final regulations generally retain previous law regarding the overtime rights of registered nurses. Read the section on nurses at http://www.dol.gov/esa/regs/compliance/whd/fairpay/fs17n_nurses.htm

April 21, 2004
Forum Health and SEIU Reach Settlement
Forum Health and SEIU, District 1199 recently reached a tentative contract settlement for a renewal agreement. The Union ratified the new contract on April 13. The new contract is significant in that it represents a consolidation of seven separate units and corresponding contracts into a single unit with a single contract.

The new contract is for a three-year term and provides for the following general wage increases: 2.7% in year 1; 2.7% in year 2; and 2.0% in year 3. Year 3 has a "Me Too" clause so that if AFSCME, Local 2804 (a union representing similar classifications within Forum Health) receives a pay increase greater than 2.0% in that year, SEIU will receive the same increase in excess of 2.0%. In addition to the general wage increases, as a result of the consolidation, certain positions receive pay adjustments during the term of the contract to achieve partity with positions performing the same functions within the unit. Finally, positions in one of the seven units consolidated received pay adjustments to achieve parity with identical positions in other locations within Forum Health represented by AFSCME, Local 2804. These latter adjustments stretch over a four (4) year period.

The different units were covered by two different insurance plans. The parties agreed to terminate employees' participation in those plans and place everybody in a third plan proferred by Forum Health. The employees did not previously, and will not for the term of this contract, contribute to the cost of the premiums.

The retirement programs in place were unchanged. Likewise, there were no material changes in any other paid time off provisions of the contract. The parties did implement an attendance bonus program for employees who did not otherwise have a similar incentive program.

Further details of the settlement can be obtained from Don Currier at Forum Health, phone number 330/884-1083.

April 12, 2004
Forum Health, Service Workers, Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
Youngstown Business Journal
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Members of the Service Employees International Union District 1199 reached a tentative contract early this morning with management at Forum Health Inc., averting a possible strike
www.business-journal.com/LateApril04/ForumHealthAgreement.html

April 1, 2004
Northside, TMH facing strikes
Warren Tribune-Chronicle
Negotiators from Forum Health and a union representing 1,500 hospital employees worked this week trying to find common ground to avert a possible strike at Trumbull Memorial Hospital and Northside Medical Center.March 5, 2004

Nurses will strike until deal is signed
Steubenville Herald-Star
Ohio Nurses Association Local 97 members will continue to picket today until a tentative agreement to end the three-month strike is ratified.
http://www.hsconnect.com/news/story/035202004_new01news030504.asp

February 27, 2004
SEIU Withdraws from Cleveland Hospital Campaign
This week, District 1199/SEIU withdrew its petition seeking to represent registered nurses at St. John West Shore Hospital. An election had been scheduled earlier this month, but was postponed by the Cleveland Regional Office of the National Labor Relations Board due to certain unfair labor practice charges that had been filed by the union against the hospital. Such blocking charges also have been withdrawn.

Accordingly, there are no longer any union representation issues pending at the Hospital.

February 16, 2004
Union Looking to Organize Health Workers
Dayton Business Journal
Local health care officials are working diligently to keep employees happy as a national labor union gains momentum in its pursuit of health care members.
http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2004/02/16/focus3.html

February 7, 2004
Nurses talk at Trinity again
Steubenville Herald-Star
The striking nurses of Ohio Nurses Association Local 97 and Trinity Medical Center East still have no agreement after Friday's negotiations.
www.hsconnect.com/news/story/027202004_new02news020704.asp

January 31, 2004
ABSTRACT: Traditional and Non-traditional Collective Bargaining: Strategies to Improve the Patient Care Environment
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing

January 20, 2004
NEWS RELEASE: Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao Testifies in Support of Proposal to Update Overtime Protections for White-Collar Workers
The U.S. Department of Labor addressed questions and concerns about its overtime reform proposal, stating that it will not eliminate overtime protection for nurses.

Previous years:
2003