Union leader: Nurses will not be affected by Northside layoffs

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Regular registered nurses are not impacted by the workforce layoffs coming to ValleyCare Health System’s Northside Medical Center.

However, 42 union health care providers, represented by Service Employees International Union District 1199, are among those being laid off, SEIU spokesman Anthony Caldwell said in a news release.

“The announcement by ValleyCare to lay off 42 union health care providers at Northside Hospital demonstrates a broken promise to the people of the Mahoning Valley as they fail to fulfill their obligation to preserve good jobs and revive a struggling health care system,” Caldwell said.

Low patient volumes and out-migration of patients to other health care providers are directly related to mismanagement by ValleyCare executives and could put quality care at risk, he said.

“We are working with our members and hospital leaders to look for ways to minimize the impact to the community and preserve as many jobs as possible,” Caldwell said.

In a statement Wednesday, ValleyCare Northside said it was laying off 68 full-time equivalents. However, ValleyCare did not respond to a request for more information about the layoffs, including whether that refers to 68 full-time employees or 68 full-time equivalent employees. A full-time equivalent, or FTE, is the combination of part-time positions that equal a full-time position.

Neither has ValleyCare revealed when the layoffs will take place and which departments will be affected.

Eric Williams, president of the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, which represents about 200 Northside nurses, said for the most part, the registered nurses aren’t impacted, but some nurses in a “fill-in” position are.

“They tell me it’s volume related,” Williams said.

“We have seen fluctuations,” Williams said of the volume of patients. “We have made adjustments to what they are calling a smaller audience.”

The nursing staff is concerned that these layoffs could lead to more work for them. They hope there’s adequate support staff to meet the needs of the patients, Williams said.

“It’s unfortunate whenever anyone is laid off,” Williams said.