Nurses at Delaware County Memorial Hospital in Drexel Hill, Pa., will walk off the job for two days next month, according to a report on philly.com.
The nurses are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals. According to the union, they are protesting stalled labor contract bargaining and what they deem as unfair labor practices.
Workers are currently in the middle of negotiating a contract with Los Angeles-based Prospect Medical Holdings, which acquired the hospital's parent, Springfield, Pa.-based Crozer-Keystone Health System, last year.
The union said Prospect has not been willing to negotiate stronger staffing levels, according to the report. Additionally, the union filed charges against Prospect with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the company of unlawfully changing employee health insurance rates, decreasing the number of staff at the hospital and making other unilateral changes, the report notes.
Crozer-Keystone officials said in a statement that administration has been bargaining in good faith and looks forward to signing a contract.
However, "we are disappointed that the union has taken this action. We do not believe the threat of the strike was necessary or helpful to the bargaining process," officials said.
"We believe we are offering our nurses a competitive wage and benefit package that compares favorably to other hospitals in our region, especially in this very challenging healthcare environment. Nurses at Delaware County Memorial Hospital currently earn $82,852 per year on average. Our highest paid RN earned $162,601 in 2016. Nursing leadership checks staffing levels four times a day, each and every day, to ensure appropriate staffing," they added.
The union has scheduled a strike for March 5 and 6. In the meantime, a contingency staffing plan is in place, Crozer-Keystone said.
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