Nurses receive support

Some nurses demonstrated outside the home of Forum Health's president.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Dozens of area union representatives joined hundreds of striking nurses and their supporters in downtown Youngstown amid cheers, chants and calls for Forum Health officials to meet nurses' demands.
Bonnie Lambert, Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association president, said the rally at 1 p.m. Saturday on Federal Plaza East in downtown Youngstown was a "true expression of solidarity between YGDNA members and other unions."
Lambert said AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers Local 112, Teamsters Local 377 and representatives from Steelworkers and several other unions were at the rally. Several speakers also addressed the crowd.
Lambert spoke on the importance of various unions coming together to support the nurses in the strike, which is quickly approaching the one-month mark.
Lambert also addressed the nurses' contention that mandatory overtime, a key issue in the strike, is not needed. She said the nurses have brought solutions to the hospital that have been turned down.
Hitting close to home: The rally, however, did not end on Federal Plaza.
Evonne Woloshyn, Forum Health spokeswoman, confirmed that several rally participants met outside the Canfield home of Forum President Kris Koce to continue the demonstration.
Woloshyn said there were no problems and nurses were not asked to leave.
About 770 nurses at Northside Medical Center, Tod Children's Hospital and Beeghly Medical Park went on strike May 1. The hospital and union negotiators met Thursday but failed to reach an agreement. No new talks have been set.