By Eileen Buckley
Lockport, NY – Registered nurses at Lockport Memorial Hospital say they want more money. The nurses are members of the Service Employees International Union Local 11-99.
They stagged informational pickets Tuesday to bring their labor dispute to the public.
About 120-registered nurses at Lockport Memorial have been been working without a contract since April.
SEIU 1199 Vice President George Kennedy attended the pickets. He said with a shortage of registered nurses, other area health care facilities are responding by trying to attract and keep nurses.
"Lockport Memorial is already behind other facilities like Mount Saint Mary's, Niagara Falls Memorial and DeGraff. Their proposals insures that the Lockport Memorial nurses will fall even farther behind," said Kennedy. "Experienced workers at Mount Saint Mary's make almost $6.00 more than those with same experience at Lockport Memorial."
In a written statement, Lockport Memorial Hospital CEO Clare Haar said while they respect the union's right to hold the pickets, the hospital is faced with significant challenges between demands on health care and HMO reimbursements.
Lockport Memorial nurse Sue Batt said she certainly understands the hospitals revenue issues, but believes nurses still need higher wages.
"In order to attract people to come to work at the Hospital as RN's and give quality care to the patients, management has to be able to at least come half way and meet us."
Batt said if the hospitals are not properly staffed patient care will suffer. Both sides will be back at the bargaining table next Tuesday to try to resolve the labor dispute.
"We are not asking for the moon. We are just asking for the CEO to come half way and meet us," said Batt.
Hospital leaders sid they are willing to negotiate a contract that is fair and equitable for employees and fiscally prudent for Lockport Memorial's future.