Nurses and technicians at Eagleville (Pa.) Hospital, along with state lawmakers, will rally outside of the hospital Tuesday afternoon to express disapproval of the alleged illegal practices the hospital has taken against its nurses while they were preparing to unionize, according to a report from The Times Herald.
Nurses at the hospital, which is specifically and solely licensed for the treatment of substance use disorders, recently joined the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.
But PASNAP alleges that before the nurses unionized, hospital administrators contracted with anti-union consultants and suspended a nurse who was supportive of bringing in a union.
PASNAP Executive Director Bill Cruice told The Times Herald after he filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, the hospital lifted the suspension and said it would pay the nurse for the days of work missed during her suspension. He also told the publication he has filed other charges against the hospital, including one for administrators allegedly giving nurses written warnings for "minor mistakes," which would have previously would have been addressed via a brief conversation.
In addition, union members allege nurses were switched around from their assigned areas in the hospital, allegedly in response to unionization, Mr. Cruice said, according to the report.
Becker's Hospital Review reached out to Eagleville for a statement, but had not received a response as of early Tuesday afternoon.
More articles on workforce and labor management:
NJ hospital allegedly failed to protect workers from violent patients: 5 things to know
Hospitals add nearly 16k jobs in August
Atlanta hospitals offer signing bonuses to lure nurses: 4 things to know