After a strike and subsequent lockout at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, Conn., talks between the hospital and the union were cancelled Tuesday, according to a WNPR report.
About 800 nurses and technicians at L+M went on a four-day strike starting Nov. 27. The hospital is currently locking out workers who went on strike, and plans to do so until a new contract is signed. Workers have been locked out for more than a week, according to the report.
Negotiations were scheduled for Tuesday, but those talks were cancelled because the union wanted an open session, while the hospital did not, according to the report. An AFT Connecticut member told WNPR that union members should be present at the talks to "bear witness to this process."
Historically, the negotiations have been open sessions, according to the report, but the hospital wants that to change now. "We're in a tough spot, because we haven't come to an agreement yet. It's about serious business now. It's about coming into a room and sitting down and having face-to-face conversations and getting a deal done. When there are outside observers, that doesn't happen," an L+M spokesperson told WNPR.
Currently, there is no set time to reopen talks between L+M and the union.
More Articles on Hospitals and Unions:
CHS Locks Out Striking Wilkes-Barre General Nurses Until Friday
Workers Strike at CHS' Deaconess, Valley Hospitals
800 Workers Strike at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital