Union spars with Valley Care over TMH layoffs
Staff report
Warren
Union leaders from Service Employees International Union District 1199, who represent licensed practical nurses at Trumbull Memorial Hospital, filed a grievance against ValleyCare Health Systems, alleging violations of the contract between the two.
The union also filed federal unfair-labor-practice charges against ValleyCare with the National Labor Relations Board.
ValleyCare announced Tuesday it will eliminate 47 LPN positions at the hospital, the union said.
“These workers provide a service to the community, and they need to stay on the job,” said Anthony Caldwell, a spokesman for SEIU District 1199.
Trish Hrina, vice president of marketing at ValleyCare, responded with this statement in an email: “Trumbull Memorial Hospital is committed to providing our patients with quality health care through effective and efficient operations.
“On May 7, 2014, we initiated discussions with the Service Employees International Union District 1199 regarding our plans to transition to a nurse staffing model that uses registered nurses and nursing assistants. [Tuesday], we began to meet with and provide information to our LPNs and the SEIU with additional information regarding the implementation of this nursing care plan in which registered nurses will be the primary provider of patient care at the bedside.
“We value each of our employees and are working with the SEIU to help transition the 34 LPNs who will be impacted by this change.”
Like other health care systems, ValleyCare is making the “switch to a different model,” Caldwell said. This usually leads to the hospital’s shifting the LPNs’ work to the remaining staff, he added.
“That’s less time for care providers to spend with their patients,” Caldwell said.
According to a union statement, the layoffs violate a collective-bargaining agreement in place until 2016. Caldwell said the agreement states the LPN position cannot be eliminated and replaced with registered nurses.
“It’s not only wrong legally, it’s wrong morally,” he added.
SEIU District 1199 represents approximately 250 workers at TMH and more than 600 in the ValleyCare Health System.