Allegheny General Hosp. Nurses in Contract Talks

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

AGH Nurse Contract Talks Continue

POSTED: 3:47 p.m. EDT October 13, 2003

PITTSBURGH -- Contract discussions are continuing in an effort to prevent a nurse strike at Allegheny General Hospital.

Both sides have agreed to conduct around-the-clock negotiations.

Nurses told Channel 4 Action News that the sides are far apart on four key issues: a ban on mandatory overtime; lowering the nurse-patient ratio; reducing health care costs; and improving wages.

Any walkout will require a 10-day notice from the nurses.

[oramar]

Oh, I heard about that Zee but does it affect you?

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

Nope. It's a sister hospital.

What does affect me, however, is that the CEO of the West Penn Allegheny Health System -- Chuck O'Brien -- just resigned yesterday. He's the one who engineered the merger/alliance between West Penn Hospital and the struggling Allegheny health system.

However (another however!), I've just been offered a job at another hospital, independent, and I'm going to be calling them to accept the position within the hour. I'll be going from charge nurse back to staff but that's fine with me. My place is running us into the ground with a worsening nurse: patient ratio, low census and constant floating of ICU staff to our horrifickly understaffed Telemetry unit.