Members of the nurses union at Danbury (Conn.) Hospital have voted to reject terms from the hospital that officials say would have saved 25 nurses from being laid off, according to a News Times report.
Instead of laying off 25 nurses, hospital officials offered the union "concessions" which included eliminating evening and weekend shift differential and adjusted overtime payments, according to the News Times. Ninety-six percent of union members voted no to accepting the changes.
"We proposed a reasonable alternative to the nurses through pay practice changes that are comparative with other staff and other hospitals in the region," a hospital spokesperson told the News Times. Union officials say the layoffs will have a negative affect on patient care and claim the hospital could save money in other ways.
In July, Danbury Hospital's parent company, Western Connecticut Health Network, cut 116 jobs. The 25 layoffs in question are part of the larger workforce reduction. The health system's CEO said reductions in staff were made necessary because of a $30 million loss in revenue due to cuts made by the state.
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