Workers at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital did not strike as planned Friday after Gov. Martin O'Malley intervened and brokered a one-week cooling off period.
"I urged 1199 SEIU and the Johns Hopkins Hospital management to take a one week cooling off period," Gov. O'Malley said in a statement. "1199 SEIU has agreed not to strike at this time — I appreciate both sides' willingness to continue negotiating in good faith."
The 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, which represents about 2,000 service employees at Johns Hopkins Hospital, issued a strike notice last week as contract negotiations stalled, mostly over wage increases.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Gov. O'Malley will not be involved in the negotiations, but stepped in to avert a strike because he felt doing so was in the state's best interest.
"The governor seems to think that the cooling-off period is necessary, and maybe that will result in positive dialogue," John Reid, executive vice president of the Maryland-D.C. region of the union, told the Baltimore Sun.
In a statement, the hospital said its leaders are "hopeful" an agreement can be reached soon, according to the report.
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