HOSPITALS Forum Health and union OK tentative pact

YOUNGSTOWN -- Forum Health reached a tentative agreement early today with the union representing 1,500 of its employees at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown and Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren.
District 1199 of the Service Employees International Union issued a news release announcing the settlement. The union's negotiating team will recommend approval when the membership meets to vote on the contract Tuesday.
Details of the contract were not released.
Single contract
Forum originally had seven contracts with the union, but the two sides agreed to negotiate a single contract for all its members. Pay and pension improvements were major issues in the talks, said Becky Williams, SEIU area director, and the union also wanted wage parity between workers at Northside and Trumbull Memorial.
SEIU represents service and maintenance workers, licensed practical nurses, housekeeping and laundry workers, pharmacists, physical therapists and technicians. Their contracts were set to expire at midnight today.
Registered nurses at both hospitals are represented by different unions.