Nurses on Strike in Kentucky

Nurses in Kentucky and West Virginia have been on strike for nearly a month. Please take action by contacting the President/CEO of the Appalachian Regional Health Systems and telling him to negotiate a fair contract with the nurses.

More than 630 nurses in Kentucky and West Virginia had their pay
cut by 10% by the Appalachian Regional Health system in December
2005. A case was arbitrated and nurses were upheld in their
grievance but the company refused to adhere to the arbitrator's
ruling and appealed to federal court.

The Kentucky Nurses Association, which has represented nine
Appalachian Regional Hospitals since the 1970s after purchasing
them from the United Mine Workers, is on strike because of the
negative treatment of nurses by ARH management and allowing and
promoting unsafe staffing for patients.

The UMW built the hospitals to care for their own in their local
communities and to support unionism. Those who pay benefits need
to know that there are not sufficient nurses to care for their
members and that the ARH is trying to force the nurses to
strike.

- nurses have been on strike for almost a month
- hospital administrators refuse to address pay raises,
mandatory overtime, and staffing ratios with the nurses
- replacement nurses have already been hired by the hospital
administration

You can take action on this via the web at:
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/nurses_kywv/83gs6krfdi8ij5?