Heritage Valley Nurses Nix Latest Offer, Plan 3-Day Strike
BEAVER, Pa. (KDKA/AP) - Registered nurses at the Heritage Valley Hospital in Beaver have rejected management's latest contract offer and plan to strike for three days later this month.
The hospital's 500 nurses went on strike for one day, July 19, after negotiations earlier that month also failed to yield a new contract.
The Service Employees International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania union is upset because the hospital wants to raise health care premiums for nurses. Similar moves by companies have been spurred by the federal Affordable Care Act.
But the union says the hospital is profitable and shouldn't put the extra costs on them and they'll strike beginning Aug. 23.
"I thing it's going to be very difficult for them to function without us. There's 500 nurses in our union," said Karen Mangerie. "We provide health care to our patients, we deserve affordable health care also."
Nurses also say the hospital wants to increase their patient load, to levels that could affect the qualify of care.
"We just cant get em to listen to us nurses. We're the front line in there. We know our patients' needs so we can provide quality care. We're asking 'em to listen to us, listen to what we have to say," Mangerie said.
The hospital has said the health coverage was fair and that nurses can get "100 percent coverage" if they use the health system's facilities.
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