Cleveland Visiting nurses settle after a 3-day strike

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Visiting nurses settle after a 3-day strike

07/22/03

Sam Bresnahan

Plain Dealer Reporter

http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business/105887348155620.xml

Workers at the Visiting Nurse Association in Cleveland voted unanimously yesterday morning to end a strike that lasted for three days. About 100 nurses will return to work tomorrow.

The nurses went on strike after they could not reach an agreement on pay raises, paperwork requirements and shift lengths.

Dozens of nurses picketed outside the East 22nd Street VNA offices until Sunday evening, when negotiators reached a tentative agreement.

A federal mediator brought union and management representatives to Independence for negotiations that lasted five and a half hours.

The nurses accepted a zero percent salary increase for this year and a 3.5 percent increase for next year.

Union representatives Betty Winn and Rita Conway said the VNA agreed to set aside six hours each week for the nurses to complete paperwork.

The VNA also agreed that nurses would work a maximum of eight consecutive hours on the overnight "triage unit."

Tom Connelly, the federal mediator handling the dispute, confirmed terms of the agreement, which will expire in two years.

"We're happy to have our nurses back to work," Winn said.

Diane Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the VNA, said the VNA is pleased with the terms of the contract settlement.

"They address the needs of the VNA, the nurses and, most importantly, they represent the needs of our patients," Gallagher said.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

[email protected], 216-999-5703

© 2003 The Plain Dealer. Used with permission.

Copyright 2003 cleveland.com. All Rights Reserved

[renerian, BSN, RN]

Interesting article Karen. renerian