News Archives
June 3, 2009
HPAE Nurses LOCKED OUT from Englewood Hospital
A contract dispute between the Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE) and the
HPAE has begun holding daily pickets to protest the counterproductive actions of
Contract talks continued late into Tuesday night right up to the strike deadline. At the request of New Jersey Department of Labor Commissioner, David Socolow, the union agreed to postpone a strike for 24 hours. However, the hospital decided to go ahead with a lockout because of a prior financial agreement with an out-of-state strike replacement agency.
Contract negotiations became strained when HPAE recognized that there was a staffing shortage at the hospital and reasonably proposed terms that would require the hospital to hire an additional nine nurses over the next two years.
There is absolutely no excuse for the action taken by the hospital to lockout its employees. At the bargaining table valid concerns which impact the quality of care at the hospital were raised. The hospital’s decision not to continue contract talks shows a blatant indifference to bargaining a fair contract with the nurses at