Nurses at Temple Hospital Rally in Preparation for Strike

At 12PM Monday September 28th, nurses from the Pennsylvania Association of School Nurses And Practicioners will hold a rally outside Temple Hospital at Broad and Tioga. The nurses are planning  a three-day strike on the following weekend, October 3rd, over a contract dispute with Temple University Health System (TUHS).  The core concerns for nurses at Temple is TUHS's refusal to negotiate over salary (including negotiations over cost of living increases); Temple's recent decision to phase out tuition reimbursement for dependents of hospital employees, and what PASNAP believes is an excessive increases in employee contribution to healthcare (TUHS is asking employee contributions to jump from $180 a month to $360 a month). 

See previous coverage over TUHS's decision to shutdown Northeastern Hospital this summer:

Northeastern Hospital Closure Haunts Temple

The Human Right to Healthcare: Northeastern Hospital is Ground Zero

Northeastern Hospital is Too Important to Close

PASNAP  representatives explain that they are forced to rally and strike as, "Temple’s attitude at the bargaining table is evidence of their distorted priorities and their zeal to pursue a corporate agenda at the expense of the community and the professionals who serve them." PASNAP representatives warn that the three day strike next weekend is the first volley in what could be a long term strike at Temple Hospital if TUHS does not  come to the bargaining table to negotiate with the nurses in good faith.

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