Nurses, techs respond to threats of lockout, workplace intimidation by corporate bosses as possible strike nears over delivery of care
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| Lawrence & Memorial management uses old school intimidation tactics |
From Matt O’Connor
New London - Bedside patient caregivers are responding to their
employer's attempts to intimidate the workforce into accepting proposals that
fail to protect community access to healthcare services at Lawrence &
Memorial (L&M) Hospital.
The CEO of Lawrence & Memorial Corporation
(LMC), the acute care facility's operator, on Friday threatened to lockout
employees in the event of a strike, harming efforts to reach a mutual
settlement. The CEO also announced indefinite plans to rely on replacement
workers to treat patients, raising questions about management's commitment to
the hospital's reputation for delivering high quality care.
D'Abrosca's comments refer to
charges filed November 13 with the NLRB over management's intimidation of
employees prepared to engage in a job action protected by federal law. LMC
administrators violated employees' rights by threatening permanent replacement,
a situation exacerbated by the CEO's public announcement of their intention to
block employees from returning to work after a strike.
"The corporation is attempting
to frighten us into second-guessing our commitment to this community,"
said L&M Hospital sleep lab technician Stephanie Johnson. "We remain
hopeful that we can reach a mutual agreement and avoid a strike. However, we
are standing strong and won't be bullied into giving up on our patients and our
community," said Johnson, who serves as president of AFT Local 5051,
representing the hospital's approximately 250 LPNs and healthcare technicians.
Johnson's comments refer to efforts
by both unions to establish protections for patients and their families as the
corporation shifts services and the jobs of caregivers away from the hospital.
The issue is the primary hold-up in negotiations for successor agreements to
contracts that expired November 16 covering the two unions' combined membership
of nearly 800 healthcare professionals. After talks last Thursday failed to
produce a resolution, a federal mediator successfully urged the corporation to
return to the table on Tuesday.
Members of both unions earlier this
month authorized a strike over unfair labor practices, and leadership notified
hospital management a four day work stoppage could begin as soon as Wednesday.
An informational picket outside the hospital is scheduled tomorrow in order to
inform the public of the corporation's violation of federal labor law and its
impact on patient care services.
"The corporation is just trying
to have it both ways," said D'Abrosca. "They're saying that they
can't afford to ensure community access to quality patient care, but they're
willing to spend untold millions on 'scabs' to replace their experienced
caregivers. Worse, they're willing to put taxpayers on the hook for the cost of
providing unemployment benefits to locked out employees," she said.
D'Abrosca's comments refer to claims
by LMC's CEO that nurses and caregivers are asking for commitments they
"wouldn't be able to keep or afford." The Connecticut Department of
Public Health's (DPH) 2012 annual report released earlier this month shows that
L&M is among the most financially robust of the state's 29 acute care
facilities. The report reveals the hospital had the highest number of days of
cash on hand, a key measure of fiscal strength, and one of the highest
average total profit margins.
The caregivers are this week ramping
up efforts this week as part of their "I Am L+M" community education
and engagement campaign. An ad appears in today's edition of The Day, and
additional public service announcements are scheduled to air on the region's
cable TV networks. An interactive website, www.IAmLandM.org, includes a
petition and letter writing tool, as well as previous ads and informational
videos on the corporation's labor and community practices.
AFT Connecticut, the largest union of
acute care hospital workers in the state, represents approximately 1,600
registered nurses, LPNs, technicians, and healthcare workers at L&M
Hospital in New London. Follow the labor federation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aftct.
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