NILES Health board considers letting nurses join union

One of the nurses said job security is her main motivator in wanting to join the union.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
NILES -- The city's board of health wants more information before deciding whether to grant a request from its two nurses to join a union.
Nurses Elizabeth McCallister and Kathy Salapata want to join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 506, the union that represents most nonsupervisory city workers.
Salapata said wages aren't the nurses' concern in seeking to join the union. She said union members are afforded benefits before they're afforded to the nurses.
Starting in 1991, for example, union members were paid an additional $100 if they didn't miss a day of work for a month.
"We didn't get it until 1995," Salapata said.
Her main concern in wanting to join the union is job security, she said.
Board members expressed concern about the effect on city residents who rely on the nurses as their only health care if the nurses were to strike.
John Altobelli, chief steward of the union, said it's possible to negotiate a no-strike clause like what is included in the police and firefighters' contracts. If the city and those unions reach an impasse, an arbitrator makes a decision by which both sides are bound.
"We're not prepared to make a decision today," said Dell Gray, board member.
He pointed to the possibility of a no-strike clause as something about which he wants more information.
More inspections: In other business, the board approved paying Michael Burke, environmental health director, for additional inspections of restaurants and grocery stores.
Burke, who is a full-time employee, earns $3,378 per month, which is about $21.11 per hour. The increase, which must be approved by city council, allows Burke to do the additional inspections for up to 200 hours annually. He'll be paid his regular hourly $21.11 for the additional work.
The additional hours are to accommodate additional health inspections of restaurants and grocery stores required under state law. The change will require some inspections to be done on weekends and after business hours, city officials said.
The board opted for a pay increase for Burke rather than hiring a part-time worker to handle the additional inspections, officials have said.