Gloversville, N.Y.-based Nathan Littauer Hospital will pay unionized nurses back wages after locking them out following a one-day strike at the hospital in January, the New York State Nurses Association announced Thursday.
The news comes roughly three months after the National Labor Relations Board determined it would prosecute Nathan Littauer Hospital over its decision to lock out the nurses for four days following the strike. The union claims that the NLRB found the hospital violated the law.
But Nathan Littauer Hospital called the union's statements "intentionally misleading."
"There was no final finding by the National Labor Relations Board against Nathan Littauer Hospital that its lockout was unlawful," hospital spokeswoman Cheryl G. McGrattan said in a statement. "The hospital believes its actions were entirely proper; however, it made the business decision to resolve the matter and move forward with the goal of achieving a fair and reasonable new collective bargaining agreement with the union. The resolution occurred more than three months ago with the parties pledging not to use it to publicly attack the other. The union has clearly gone back on that pledge. We are a small, independent, rural hospital committed to our employees and our community. While we are disappointed with the union’s actions, our commitments will not waver."
NYSNA said it plans to file additional unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against Nathan Littauer Hospital, concerning what it says is the hospital's "ongoing unlawful conduct including changing nurses' working conditions without negotiating with NYSNA."
During contract negotiations, nurses have demanded "a fair contract that enforces adequate staffing for patient care," as well as protections for employee health benefits, according to the union.
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