Even though the one-day strike is technically over, nurses from Youngstown, Ohio-based Northside Medical Center continued to walk the picket line Wednesday after the hospital prevented some nurses from returning to work, according to a WFMJ report.
The hospital sent letters to the nurses involved in the strike, asking some to return to work Wednesday and asking others to return in three days. A third group of nurses received letters without a return date; the Ohio Nurses Association speculates these nurses have been fired, according to the report.
Unionized nurses at Northside, represented by the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, a local unit of the ONA, went on a one-day strike Tuesday after working without a contract for more than 14 months.
ValleyCare Health System of Ohio, of which Northside is an affiliate, told WFMJ Northside had brought in replacement nurses to cover during the strike Tuesday and the replacements would be there for a total of 72 hours. A representative from Northside could not immediately be reached for comment.
Prior to the strike, Northside filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board over the validity of the ONAs notice of strike intentions.
According to the WFMJ report, the ONA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against Northside, alleging the hospital illegally intimidated the nurses.
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