University Hospitals Geneva Medical Center Registered Nurses to Strike on December 10 if Contract Agreement Cannot ...( CLEVELAND Dec. 7 -- Contract negotia...),Health

CLEVELAND, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Contract negotiations between the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) and University Hospitals Geneva Medical Center (University Hospitals Geneva) broke down after the 6th session of negotiations on Friday, December 5. To date, the parties have been unable to reach an agreement.

At issue are economic provisions including a potential change to health insurance premiums. University Hospitals Geneva has indicated that they will remove premium rate charts for health insurance which cap annual increases. This will expose the nurses to increases without a ceiling on premium costs. ONA had offered to withdraw all remaining non-economic provisions, including a union membership requirement and a successorship agreement in order to secure economic provisions, however, University Hospitals Geneva did not agree to the offer. During this rough economic period, it is essential that the RNs protect themselves from having a large employer such as University Hospitals Geneva potentially shift the cost of health insurance premiums from itself onto the individual RNs by securing a percentage of premiums paid.

On November 25, 2008, ONA gave University Hospitals Geneva a 10-day strike notice. As of December 7, 2008, University Hospitals Geneva has maintained its proposals. The parties are not scheduled to meet again, however, ONA has continued to express an interest in negotiating an alternative proposal. If the parties cannot reach an agreement before the contract expires on December 9 at midnight, ONA will strike and maintain a picket line on December 10, 2008 at 7:00 a.m. in front of University Hospitals Geneva Medical Center, 870 West Main Street, Geneva, Ohio 44041.

The RNs employed by University Hospitals Geneva are professionals with highly developed skills and extensive education. Every day they provide compassionate care to the residents of Geneva and surrounding areas whi
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