Associated Press

Associated Press
IMPORTANT ISSUE: Renee Arner, who is eight months pregnant with twins, pickets Wednesday in front of East Liverpool City Hospital in Columbiana County. A federal mediator has ordered both sides in the nursing strike to the bargaining table. Hospital officials and the union representing 177 nurses are to meet at 10 a.m. Friday. It's the first bargaining between the sides since the nurses went on strike Sunday after their three-year contract expired. Issues include wages, health-insurance costs and mandatory overtime. The hospital remains open with limited operations. Nurse managers are staffing the emergency room.