The National Labor Relations Board has scheduled a hearing to review accusations of illegal practices Western Connecticut Health Network managers and consultants took against about 800 employees at Danbury (Conn.) and New Milford (Conn.) hospitals, according to The News-Times.
Here are five things to know about the board's complaint and the accusations.
1. The hearing to review the accusations is scheduled for January.
2. The board's complaint cites violations that were part of a coordinated campaign by the top executives at Brookfield-based Western Connecticut Health Network to subvert their healthcare workers' legal rights to unionize, according to AFT Connecticut, which represents about 725 registered nurses and 260 technicians, clinicians and licensed practical nurses at Danbury and New Milford hospitals.
3. The complaint came days before a vigil was held supporting healthcare workers at Danbury and New Milford hospitals.
4. During the vigil, union leaders, healthcare professionals and politicians called for management to put "patients before profits" and offer fair wages to employees, as well as support the right to unionize, according to The News-Times. Negotiations for a contract are currently ongoing between hospital management and technicians and therapists, and healthcare workers will be able to vote again on the possibility of unionizing. The first vote in June was unsuccessful.
5. Western Connecticut Health Network spokeswoman Andrea Rynn called the union's actions "unfortunate."
"Contract negotiations are never resolved in the media or through demonstrations like this. We wish that instead, AFT would be more focused on collective bargaining so that we can reach a contract for Danbury Hospital technicians and therapists. While this union activity is meant to distract us, it doesn't. We will never lose sight of what matters most — our patients," she said in a statement, according to The News-Times.
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