Nurses OK contracts with Forum Health

BOARDMAN — The 604 nurses from the Ohio Nurses Association/Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association ratified a one-year contract with Northside Medical Center and Beeghly Medical Park.

“This is a concessionary contract that met the needs of the hospital, and it also met the job security issues of the nurses,” said Eric Williams, president of the Youngstown General Duty Nurse Association.

Williams would not give details of the one-year contract, but said the main issue of job security during a potential sale or merger of the facility was addressed.

Nurses voted throughout the day Friday at Operating Engineers Local 66 Building in Boardman. The new contract expires on July 19, 2008.

Nurses at Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital also ratified their contract earlier this week, said Karen Dunnigan, co-chair of the Ohio Nurses Association Hillside Local.

Dunnigan said she was unaware of the details of the Youngstown nurse’s contract and could not say if they were the same. However, Hillside nurses also addressed job security issues in their contract, she said.

According to Dunnigan, the Hillside contract calls for a wage freeze and giving up the Easter holiday and one personal holiday. She said they kept some smaller things like a cafeteria discount. There are 23 registered nurses in the union local.

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