James Parks, AFL-CIO, December 24, 2007 Striking nurses in West
Virginia and Kentucky yesterday approved a new tentative agreement that
could send them back to work soon. Nearly 700 members of the United
American Nurses (UAN) union have been on strike at nine Appalachian
Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals since October 1. The UAN members
are seeking a contract with safer staffing levels and higher patient
care standards. The nurses are concerned that management’s staffing
decisions and rampant mandatory overtime are preventing them from
giving patients the best possible care. ... Striking