Nok-Noi Ricker, Bangor Daily News, November 20, 2010

Bangor - A group of Eastern Maine Medical Center nurses - some dressed in their work scrubs - showed up for work early Saturday morning even though they had received a notice saying they would not be allowed into the hospital.

The nurses, who plan to hold a one-day strike on Monday to push for changes in patient-to-nurse staffing levels and other items in their pending three-year contract, were told not to come to work and to stay off hospital property on Saturday and Sunday.

Chris Facchini, WLBZ-TV, November 20, 2010 Bangor - The Maine State Nurses Association is filing charges of unfair labor practices against Eastern Maine Medical Center for allegations that the hospital is not bargaining in good faith and is withholding information necessary for contract negotiations. Members of the union gathered in Bass Park Friday to explain why they filed the charges against the hospital. They claim that staffing levels are affecting patient safety and the hospital refuses to hand over information that would support their beliefs. ... Nurses

MPBN, November 16, 2010 Talks between 833 unionized nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center and hospital administrators have broken down, paving the way for a strike. Talks between nurses and administrators at Eastern Maine Medical Center have broken down, as a strike planned for Monday looms. The 833 unionized nurses at the Bangor facility have been threatening to strike over staffing levels, health insurance and moving nurses from one specialty unit to another against their wishes. Bargaining teams met Saturday and Monday in an effort to reach an agreement, but the two sides remain far apart, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Rob Poindexter, WABI, November 15, 2010 Bangor - Negotiations between union nurses and administration at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor have broken down. It now looks like a work stoppage may be unavoidable. The two sides met again Monday morning, but talks between unionized nurses and hospital administration quickly broke down. A little before noon, a federal mediator told the two sides no progress could be made. Judy Brown, President of the Nurses Union at EMMC says nurses say they did make one concession. "We have offered to officially take wages off the table so that there's no doubt in anybody's mind that this is about safe patient staffing," says Brown. ... Union

Mike DeSumma, WCSH-TV, November 15, 2010 Bangor - Administrators at Eastern Maine Medical Center have made their plans clear for handling a potential nurses strike at the end of the month. About 830 unionized nurses at EMMC are planning to walk the picket line on November 22. In all, they have been working without a contract at the hospital since the end of September. EMMC has responded by signing an agreement with a temp agency to bring in replacement nurses. Hospital administrators say if the union moves forward with its plans to strike on November 22, those nurses will be locked out on November 20 and 21 as well. ... EMMC

Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, November 15, 2010 Bangor - Contract negotiations between Eastern Maine Medical Center and the 833 unionized nurses who work there came to an abrupt halt late Monday morning, with less than a week remaining before a planned one-day strike on Monday, November 22. If the threatened strike takes place, the hospital has said it will lock out all union nurses for an additional two days, citing cost efficiencies related to bringing in temporary replacement nurses. Barring an eleventh-hour contract agreement or a withdrawal of the strike plan, the three-day work stoppage will commence at 7 AM Saturday, November 20 ... Nurses

Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, November 9, 2010 Bangor - Dissatisfied with stalemated contract negotiations, unionized nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center have planned a one-day strike to take place on Monday, November 22. The date of the strike was decided at a meeting of the nurses on Monday night. Nurses will hand-deliver the required 10-day notification to strike to EMMC officials this morning, according to nurse Judy Brown, president of the Maine State Nurses Association at EMMC. The nurses have been working without a contract since the end of September. ... EMMC

Carolyn Callahan, WABI-TV5, November 9, 2010 Bangor - Union nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor have announced a possible one-day strike. The decision was made Monday night. Last week unionized nurses turned down the hospital's offer on a new contract. The union's been pushing for improvements to nurse-to-patient staff ratios - health insurance has been a sticking point too. Hospital officials say they're confident their contract provides for patient safety and offers fair compensation and benefits. MSNA nurses will give details of the possible strike Wednesday morning at a press conference in Bangor. ... Nurses

WABI-TV5, November 8, 2010 Bangor - Union nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor will meet tonight to decide whether or not they want to strike. Last week, a majority of the Union rejected the hospital's final offer on a new contract. 850 nurses at EMMC are members of the Maine State Nurses Association. The Union's been pushing for higher nurse-to-patient staff ratios. They've also been negotiating over health insurance. Hospital officials say they're confident their contract provides for patient safety and offers fair compensation and benefits. A federal mediator is being brought back to re-start negotiations.

Audry Amann, WLBZ-TV, November 8, 2010 Bangor - The negotiation process has been going on for months between the nurses and Eastern Maine Medical Center. Nurses at EMMC have been working since the end of September without a contract. On Friday, the hospital proposed what they're calling their "best, last and final offer." The nurses say that isn't good enough. There are several issues that are the hot topics between the two parties - wages, benefits and regulated staffing levels. ... Nurses

Mainebiz Daily, November 5, 2010 Nurses at Bangor's Eastern Maine Medical Center are planning a one-day strike after contract negotiations stalled yesterday. Union President Judy Brown told the Bangor Daily News that 86% of the nurses voted against a final contract offer Thursday. The Maine State Nurses Association and its affiliate, the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, represent about 850 EMMC registered nurses and have been in talks with EMMC officials for months. A date for the strike has not been set, but a 10-day notice of a strike is required. Points of contention in contract talks have been nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, health insurance for union members and protection from layoffs and transfers, according to the paper.

Meg Haskell, Bangor Daily News, November 1, 2010 Bangor - After months of negotiations, nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center will vote this week on whether to accept the hospital’s “last, best and final” contract offer. Stalemated on the contentious issues of nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, health insurance and protection from layoffs and transfers, talks closed last Friday without an agreement. A vote to reject the hospital’s offer will pave the way for picketing, leafleting and, potentially, a nursing strike. The nurses’ five-member bargaining team will recommend that their co-workers vote against the hospital’s offer ... EMMC

Catherine Pegram, WABI, October 13, 2010 Bangor - Nurses and administrators at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor will head back to the bargaining table after contract negotiations ended today without an agreement. Earlier this week, a group of nurses, joined by members of the Maine State Nurses Association, picketed in front of the hospital. They say they're concerned staffing levels are causing patient care to suffer. Vanessa Sylvester, with the Association, says during negotiations today they asked EMMC to follow minimum safe staffing guarantees, modeled after the medical center's own staffing plans. A statement from the hospital says staff levels are monitored on a daily basis ... No

Jackie Ward, WCSH-TV, October 13, 2010 Bangor - Eastern Maine Medical Center and its nurses union failed to reach an agreement today on a union contract. In a statement from EMMC, staffing ratios is still the biggest issue both sides can't agree on. Both EMMC and the Maine State Nurses Association have said they have the patients' best interest and hope to reach a compromise as soon as possible. Nurses picketed EMMC on Monday to try to make the public aware of their concerns. The next contract negotiation will be on October 19th.

MPBN, October 12, 2010 Unionized nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor say they're concerned about how recent restructuring is affecting patient care at the facility. Unionized nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor picketed yesterday to raise awareness of contract negotiations underway with hospital administrators. The nurses' three-year contract, which covers about 860 registered nurses at the facility, expired at the end of September, according to the Bangor Daily News. One key issue is nursing staffing levels. The nurses say that recent restructuring at the hospital has raised concerns about patient safety. ... EMMC