A labor union is suing financially struggling Doctors' Hospital of Michigan in Pontiac, seeking a temporary restraining order against the hospital to block about 40 layoffs, according to The Oakland Press.
The hospital laid off workers in a number of positions effective April 6 and outsourced the tasks without fully negotiating the job cuts, the lawsuit filed by the Michigan AFSCME Council 25 in Oakland County Circuit Court reads, according to the report.
The lawsuit claims the union's bargaining agreement allows 30 days to propose alternatives to layoffs, but the hospital, which met with the union March 6, didn't fully respond to AFSCME's information requests, according to the report.
Doctors' Hospital CEO Mark Jewett declined to comment to The Oakland Press on the lawsuit. The hospital also hasn't yet responded to the lawsuit in court, according to the report.
The employees affected by the layoffs are workers in the classifications of patient access, dietary, patient accounts, administration, security, surgery, physical therapy, occupational therapy, housekeeping, maintenance and boiler services, according to the report, which cites an affidavit by Melvin Brabson, an AFSCME staff representative.
More articles on legal and regulatory issues:
5 latest healthcare industry lawsuits, settlements
2 US laboratories settle false claims allegations for $48.5M