Forum Health talks extend past deadline

The Northside nurses union chief is cautiously optimistic a settlement can be reached.

STAFF REPORTS

YOUNGSTOWN — Negotiations with two unions at Forum Health continued past the May 15 deadline that was set by the hospital system.

Talks with Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association of the Ohio Nurses Association and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees took place throughout the weekend, according to a Forum press release.

The Youngstown general-duty group represents nurses at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2026 represents nurses at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren.

No new agreements have been reached, but talks with the unionized work force were productive enough that the company did not file a motion asking the U.S. Bankruptcy judge to revoke union contracts, said Walter Pishkur, Forum president and chief executive officer. However, he said a court filing is still an option.

Eric Williams, president of YGDNA, said he is “cautiously optimistic” after the weekend negotiations.

Representatives of Local 2026 and Service Employees International Union District 1199, which represents support workers at Northside, did not return requests to comment.

Pishkur said all of the hospital’s stakeholders — union and nonunion employees, vendors and physicians, must share in making sacrifices to turn Forum’s fortunes around.

Forum must submit a reorganization plan to the bankruptcy court by Sept. 15.

For the first time in several years, all three of Forum’s major properties, Northside, TMH and Hillside Rehabilitation Hospital in Howland, recently had positive operating revenues, Pishkur said.

TMH and Hillside have consistently broken even or turned profits, while Northside has mostly been losing money. Pishkur said the positive revenue report is a strong indication that increased admissions and increased revenues, combined with stringent cost containment, will make the system economically viable.