Salem hospital nurses vote on union, but legal wrangling keeps ballots sealed

September 07, 2010
MANNINGTON TWP. - Registered nurses working at The Memorial Hospital of Salem County here have voted in the union election, but the ballots will not be counted until the National Labor Relations Board can hear an appeal filed by the hospital and CHS, the hospital’s parent corporation. Read More

Memorial Hospital of Salem County nurses vote on whether to unionize

September 03, 2010
Registered nurses at The Memorial Hospital of Salem County here have started voting in an election that would allow them to be represented by the HPAE, the state’s largest union of nurses and health care workers, if the proposal is passed. Read More

How will you vote on September 1st & 2nd?

The Union Difference: HPAE RN Contracts vs. MHSC

Compare the wages, benefits, and working conditions for nurses at HPAE-represented hospitals to Memorial Hospital of Salem County: Click here to download this comparison chart.

Vote YES for HPAE on Election Day!

September 1st 2-3p, 9-10p and September 2nd 6-8a, 6-8p
Vote will be held in the PCEC room at the hospital

Click here to download this flyer.

Support for the RNs of MHSC from the Local Executive Board of HPAE Local 5131, South Jersey Healthcare

August 20, 2010

Download a copy of this flyer here.

What are CHS' real priorities? Where does all the money go?

August 17, 2010

Click here to download this flyer.

Take Action: Oppose the Closure of MHSC's Maternity Services

August 16, 2010

MHSC/CHS has submitted a proposal to the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) to terminate maternity services and the HealthStart program at our hospital. These are services families in our community rely on - and that can’t be relocated 40 - 50 minutes away in “nearby” hospitals, without putting people’s safety at risk. When MHSC’s parent company, CHS, announced their plan to close maternity services, nurses throughout the hospital were shocked and dismayed. Click here to send an email to the NJDHSS.

Memorial Hospital of Salem County nurses win right to vote on whether to unionize

August 09, 2010

MANNINGTON TWP. — The nurses at The Memorial Hospital of Salem County have won the right to vote in a union election, according to the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union.

“Memorial Hospital of Salem County has received a decision — issued on Aug. 2 by the regional director for the Philadelphia office of the National Labor Relations Board — directing an election for the purpose of allowing the hospital’s nurses to decide whether or not they want to be represented for collective bargaining purposes by the Health Professionals and Allied Employees,” James L. Angle, chief executive officer of The Memorial Hospital of Salem County, said in a statement.

Read More

Victory for RNs at the Labor Board!

Board issues decision & Election Date to be set
August 04, 2010

The NLRB has ruled in favor of the Registered Nurses following the hearings in Philadelphia!! On every unit where a Charge Nurse testified during the NLRB hearings, the Regional Director ruled in favor of those nurses assuring them their rights to vote for a union at our hospital. Now it is time to focus on winning our election so that we can gain a real voice for Registered Nurses in our hospital and ensure that we can continue to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. We will notify you as soon as an Election Date has been set.

Congratulations to all Registered Nurses who testified! The NLRB will set a date for our election in the near future.

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the MHSC Organizing Committee or one of the HPAE organizers: Bridget Devane: 732-996-5493; Bill Boydston: 845-406-1686; Adam Clark: 505-730-1391

Registered Nurses Organizing Campaign

Background Information:

Memorial Hospital of Salem County (MHSC), located in Mannington, Salem County, NJ, is owned and operated by Community Health Systems (CHS) based in Nashville, TN. MHSC is a 140-bed, acute-care hospital serving people in Salem, western Cumberland and southern Gloucester Counties.

CHS, a for-profit company traded on Wall Street, is one of the nation's largest operators of general acute care hospitals. CHS’ affiliates own, operate or lease more than 120 hospitals in 29 states, with an aggregate of approximately 18,000 licensed beds. In more than 65 percent of the markets served, CHS-affiliated hospitals are the sole provider of healthcare services.

CHS despite its size does not promote the CHS name among the hospitals they purchase. Their business strategy is for hospitals to maintain their local identity and does not brand them as being affiliated with the company. Since it tries to acquire hospitals in non-urban markets with little or no competition, this maintenance of an outward local identity is important. When they buy a non-profit hospital in a small community, the company wants to give the impression that it will honor the hospital’s legacy of service to that community.

In 2002 CHS purchased MHSC which is a small community hospital in a rural location with a high level of indigent care. CHS at the time of the purchase made promises to expand the hospital, attract more physicians and patients and create overall improvements to the facility.

Now in 2010, conditions within the hospital have deteriorated and the staff struggles to provide the same quality patient care, with less staff, fewer resources and faulty equipment in many areas of the hospital. Expansions have occurred yet CHS has also made business decisions to eliminate services, for example MHSC is currently seeking approval from the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services to end maternity services in the hospital.

MHSC RNs File for HPAE Election!
CHS Delays RNs Right to Vote
Election Update:

May 19, 2010 – A large majority of MHSC Registered Nurses filed a petition (click here to see the petition) with the National Labor Relations Board for an election to be represented by HPAE.
June 2-9, 2010 – National Labor Relations Board held hearings in Philadelphia to hear evidence regarding CHS attorney’s claim that permanent and rotating Charge Nurses are supervisors therefore should not be eligible to vote nor join the union. This is an attempt to deny RNs their right to vote for their union.
June 23, 2010 – HPAE and CHS attorneys submitted legal briefs of the NLRB Hearings to the NLRB Regional Director.
July 2, 2010 – NLRB Regional Director dismisses CHS’ charge against HPAE, claiming supervisors intimidated RNs into signing union cards. This was a phony claim and yet again another attempt to delay the vote.
We are now awaiting a decision from the NLRB and we will then move forward with our election!
For more information contact HPAE Organizers Bridget Devane, bdevane@hpae.org or Bill Boydston, bboydston@hpae.org.