Politicians and Labor Leaders Set to Lead Rallies Saturday (February 28) for Striking Inn...( PHILADELPHIA Feb. 27 -- New Jersey S...),Health

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Stephen M. Sweeney and Deptford Mayor Paul Medany are scheduled to join Labor Leaders Charles Wowkanech, President of the New Jersey AFL-CIO, Roy Foster, President of the Atlantic-Cape May Counties Central Labor Council and Henry Nicholas, President of District 1199C National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees at rallies in Deptford and Hammonton, N. J., in support of some 80 nurses on strike at Innova Deptford and Innova Hammonton.

The Deptford rally in front of Innova Deptford, 1511 Clements Bridge, is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

The Hammonton rally in front on Innova Hammonton, 43 N. White Horse Pike, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Good-faith bargaining efforts by striking nurses at Innova Hammonton and Innova Deptford have been met by corporate proposals to reduce the wage and benefit package by more than 28 percent.

The strike by both Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical nurses, members of District 1199C of the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees AFSCME, AFL-CIO, who had been working without a contract since last April, was begun a strike on January 23 in the wake of company efforts to institute work-policy changes that would, in effect, cut pay and additional proposals that would dramatically increase nurses' co-pay rate for their healthcare and pensions and also because of Innova's commission of unfair labor practices.

Although wages and benefits are important to striking nurses, the union also has grave concerns that the company does not want to continue the contractual provisions that require safe- staffing levels. Innova management has made clear at the bargaining table that it is the company's desire to staff at the minimum levels allowed by state regulation.

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