Trumbull Memorial's licensed practical nurses to be laid off

Staff report

WARREN

ValleyCare Health System will eliminate 47 jobs at Trumbull Memorial Hospital, all of the licensed practical nurses represented by the Service Employees International Union.

“Most of them are full-time positions with benefits so obviously, you can imagine the impact it’s going to have on them and their families and the quality of care at the hospital” Anthony Caldwell, spokesman for SEIU District 1199, told 21-WFMJ TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

ValleyCare began discussions with the union in May about plans to transition to a staffing model that uses registered nurses and nursing assistants.

“What happens is, they usually shift that work to the existing staff, they may hire a few additional people but it won’t replace the work that the workers that are there now are providing” Caldwell told WFMJ.

The union says the hospital is in violation of terms of the nurses’ contract, and it already has take action to fight the job cuts.

“We’ve filed a grievance and plan to take it through arbitration if we need to. We’ve also filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board because this move is in direct violation of the collective-bargaining agreement that is in place between the workers and the hospital,” Caldwell said.