Nathan Littauer Hospital Agrees to Pay Nurses Back Wages after an Illegal Lockout in January
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 21, 2016
Contact: Carl Ginsburg | carl.ginsburg@nysna.org | Cell: 917.405.1060
NLRB Found Nathan Littauer Violated The Law
Additional Federal Unfair Labor Practice Charges To Be Filed Against Hospital
ALBANY, NY – Nathan Littauer Hospital (NLH) has agreed to pay members of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) back wages after illegally locking them out after a one-day strike in January. This comes on the heels of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finding of “merit” and issuance of a complaint against the hospital.
NYSNA also announced plans today to file additional ULPs concerning NLH’s ongoing unlawful conduct including changing nurses’ working conditions without negotiating with NYSNA.
The January 6 one-day strike of 130 members of the New York State Nurses Association at Nathan Littauer Hospital underscored nurse demands for:
A fair contract that enforces adequate staffing for patient care.
Protections of the employee health benefits needed to help recruit and retain skilled healthcare workers at the facility.
Registered nurses have presented contract proposals to management that would raise patient care standards, provide both affordable healthcare for caregivers and fair wages, and provide a meaningful way to resolve staffing concerns.
Payment of the back pay has added to the legitimacy of nurse complaints about hospital conditions and strengthened calls for safe staffing.
“We applaud the Labor Board for standing with us and we are continuing to work towards a fair contract at Nathan Littauer,” said Marion Enright, RN.
“The back pay is more than money in our pockets,” said Lisa Washburn, RN. “It is an acknowledgement that we wanted to return to our units after a one-day strike and care for our patients, yet management improperly locked us out.”
“Quality care for all our patients is our goal. Management needs to agree to meet the staffing levels required to get the job done,” said Miriam Mustafa, RN.
A community forum is planned for August 16 in Gloversville, as nurses intensify their campaign for a fair contract. Nurses say that top management, as well as the members of the hospital’s board of directors, are potentially jeopardizing the quality of care for the community by failing to reach a fair agreement.
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The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 39,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit our website at www.nysna.org.