Pennsylvania hospital, nurses swap unfair labor complaints: 6 things to know

Indiana (Pa.) Regional Medical Center and the union representing 380 registered nurses and nurse anesthetists are accusing each other of unfair labor practices as a contract dispute between the parties continues, according to the Indiana Gazette.

Six things to know:

1. Both sides filed unfair labor practice complaints against each other with the National Labor Relations Board.

2. The complaints were filed after the hospital declared an impasse in contract talks and implemented a new paid time off policy April 7, according to the Gazette report.

3. The Indiana Registered Nurses Association does not agree that negotiations were at an impasse, union spokesperson Annie Briscoe told the publication. Negotiations came to a stop last month, and the new paid time off policy replaces previous vacation, sick time and personal days rules.

4. Regarding the new paid time off policy, Ms. Briscoe said: “In bargaining, our members made some concessions toward agreeing to a PTO in practice, but the way the hospital has implemented it will lead to a reduction in earned time for our members. The structure the hospital is using to calculate time will reduce what accumulated leave would be in the current system. That’s one of the harms that we see.”

5. Indiana Regional Medical Center reportedly is accusing the union of bargaining in bad faith. Medical center spokesperson Mark Richards told the Gazette hospital officials are confident that the medical center “has bargained in good faith and reached a lawful impasse before implementing these provisions.” 

6. Mr. Richards said the hospital’s implemented changes will stand while the complaints are under consideration by the labor board.

Read the Gazette’s full report here.

 

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