Nurses’ union aims to negotiate its contract with Forum Health

The union says ‘poor collaboration between present corporate management’ is one of its reasons for wanting to negotiate a contract.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — The registered nurses’ union at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital plans to serve an official notification to Forum Health to negotiate its contract beginning Jan. 15, 2009.

The union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2026, represents 450 registered nurses who work at the hospital.

Local 2026 President Thomas Connelly said the union’s executive board and stewards voted unanimously Tuesday to serve the notification to negotiate a contract.

Connelly said the current contract has been indefinitely suspended since October 2007. Under the expiration clause, either party can call the other to negotiate at any time. After notification, the parties have five days to meet, and the contract expires 30 days after notification.

The last contract, negotiation of which was completed in October 2006, contained significant concessionary language to assuage Forum Health’s financial difficulties.

However, the union says “poor collaboration between present corporate management, turbulent economics and undesired changes in the direction affecting patient care” are reasons behind the decision to bargain.

A response from Forum Health was not available Wednesday.

Official notification will be sent to the hospital by Jan. 10 unless Forum chooses to exercise its right to negotiate before that date. The union will use this time to poll its members to seek goals for the bargaining process and to inform the community of these issues, Connelly said.