Last group of Northside nurses back to work today

Last group of Northside nurses back to work today

YOUNGSTOWN

The last group of registered nurses locked out, after striking against ValleyCare Northside Medical Center for one day last Tuesday, returned to work today .

Except for a couple of nurses scheduled to resume work Tuesday, this is everybody, said Eric Williams, president of the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, who was himself among those who walked into the east entrance of the hospital on Gypsy Lane for the 7 a.m. shift.

The 485-member union struck the hospital taking issue with ValleyCare’s final offer over staffing issues and the lack of specific language giving nurses an unfettered voice in patient care as did their previous contract which expired July 19, 2012.

Despite the union’s claims otherwise, there is nothing in the hospital’s final offer would inhibit a nurse’s ability to execute the professional responsibility to his or her patients, said Trish Hrina, ValleyCare’s vice president of marketing and public relations.