ValleyCare nurses OK pact extension

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Nurses at ValleyCare Northside Medical Center in Youngstown and at ValleyCare Hillside Rehabilitation Center in Howland have voted to extend their contracts for one year.

Eric Williams, president of Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association at Northside, said the nurses ratified the extension Wednesday.

The current contract would have expired July 19 but is now extended to July 19, 2012, he said.

“The nurses felt they needed more time with the transition from Forum to Community Health Systems,” Williams said.

Northside and Hillside, along with Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, are owned by owned by CHS.

Williams said the unions will likely begin collective bargaining for their new contracts three to six months before the extension expires next summer.

Community Health Systems purchased the assets of the former Forum Health system last year.