Temple Found Guilty of Bad Faith Bargaining with Nurses Union
The full Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board (PLRB) has affirmed a previous decision that finds Temple University guilty of engaging in bad faith bargaining by illegally discontinuing a long standing tuition benefit for the children of Temple University Hospital nurses and other professional staff. The 1,500 Registered Nurses and professional staff are represented by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP).
On March 9, 2009, Temple unilaterally eliminated the decades-old tuition reimbursement policy even though collective bargaining agreements that guaranteed the benefit to 1500 employees represented by PASNAP were still in effect. Temple’s claim that they were entitled to make changes to the policy without first negotiating with the union was soundly rejected in a unanimous PLRB decision.
The ruling requires that the University compensate all affected employees for the amounts they would have been reimbursed if the policy had not been illegally changed in March 2009. There are approximately 150 nurses and other professional staff that suffered money losses due to Temple’s bad faith bargaining. They are due to be reimbursed anywhere between $7,000 and $15,000 each.
"Tuition was not the reason I came to Temple, but its one of the reasons I stayed. For Temple to have pulled it out from under me after so many years of loyal service seemed exceedingly unfair. I am glad that the Board has agreed that Temple’s action was illegal as well as mean-spirited,” said Michael Horwitz, a nurse in Temple’s ER since 1992.
Dawn Kuchinsky, a nurse in the Transfer Center, reported, “My family faced a huge financial crisis when the benefit for my two children was pulled out from under us as a result of Temple breaking their promise of tuition support. I was confident that their action could not stand and relieved to know the decision by the Labor Relations. I would hope Temple will accept this ruling, and allow my family and the others involved to recover our financial stability.”
Bill Cruice, Executive Director of PASNAP and chief negotiator said, “Temple repeatedly claims its mission is to make education accessible to working families. President Ann Weaver Hart and Board of Trustees Chairman O’Connor have said they chose to assume leadership positions at Temple in order to maintain this mission. Yet, they illegally took away their dedicated employees’ educational access for their children. This decision affirms what we have been witnessing for too many months—bad faith bargaining and corporate decisions that directly contradict Temple’s public mission and community responsibilities.”
"We are committed to our patients, to this community. It is becoming more questionable whether Temple executives share these commitments. They closed Northeastern Hospital without any discussion, just like they suddenly took away this benefit. If they keep treating us and our patients with such disrespect, Temple will lose qualified professionals and credibility as a caring community institution. I hope that they turn around and start acting in good faith to all of us who dedicate our lives to this hospital,” said Deighton Smith, a Respiratory Therapist whose daughter’s nursing education had been supported by the benefit.
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