Carthage Area Hospital RNs to management: “You’d rather play golf than negotiate!”

Carthage, July 21, 2010- Carthage Area Hospital RNs will be without a contract as of July 31. Yet, instead of taking every opportunity to reach a deal, management has decided to play golf on Friday.

The RNs at the hospital, represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), are angry that management will not make time to sit down and negotiate.

“NYSNA and a federal mediator cleared their schedules to meet with hospital management on Friday, July 23. But management had other plans to play golf on that day,” said NYSNA representative Roger Bull. “Apparently a day on the links is more important than protecting patient care.”

After five sessions, negotiations at the hospital have stalled. RNs are asking the hospital to provide differential pay for night shift and specialty nurses to allow the facility to fill these vital positions. They also want management to remedy the current 34 percent vacancy rate for nighttime RNs.

The nurses will attend the hospital foundation’s golf tournament on Friday, which is being held at Carlowden Golf Course in Denmark, NY. Although some of the hospital’s administrators will be playing golf to benefit the hospital, the nurses want to remind hospital management that providing excellent patient care is their shared top priority.

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 36,000 members, it is the state's largest professional association and largest union for registered nurses. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

- 30 -