The Indiana Nurses Association has filed an unfair labor complaint against Indiana (Pa.) Regional Medical Center, according to The Indiana Gazette.
The INA, which represents almost 400 nurses at IRMC, filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
In October, the contract between IRMC and the union expired. The deadline for revision was set for February. In early February, IRMC proposed what it called its "last, best and final" offer, which included a new health insurance plan and a 3.5 percent wage increase in the contract with the union. The INA said it didn't take a vote on the proposal and instead asked IRMC not to halt negotiations.
But according to the union, nothing happened. The INA claims it "offered additional dates to bargain, all of which were rejected by the hospital," according to a news release cited in the Gazette. So in early May, union leaders were authorized to strike.
In mid-June, IRMC said negotiations had reached impasse. But the union claims IRMC autonomously implemented the health insurance change July 1, according to TribLive.com.
The NLRB now has to answer the INA's allegations, which could take between nine and 13 weeks, according to Nancy Wilson, NLRB's regional director in Pittsburgh.