STATEMENT BY AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN SWEENEY ON NURSESa STRIKE AT APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HOSPITALS

[Omaha Steve]

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October 19, 2007 Friday
STATEMENT BY AFL-CIO PRESIDENT JOHN SWEENEY ON NURSESa STRIKE AT APPALACHIAN REGIONAL HOSPITALS
States News Service
WASHINGTON, DC

The following information was released by the AFL-CIO:

The 10 million members of the AFL-CIO stand firmly with the more than 800 striking nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) hospitals who are seeking stronger patient care protections. The nurses a" members of the United American Nurses in Kentucky and West Virginia a" are standing up for the communities they serve even as ARH tries to crush their spirit through intimidation and threats.

Patient care must be any hospital' primary concern. By forcing its front-line care providers to be understaffed and overworked, ARH is recklessly putting its patients at risk. The nurses at ARH deserve respect and decent working conditions that include fair pay and benefits as well as manageable hours. It is absolutely unacceptable that ARH is putting communities at risk by refusing to listen to nursesa concerns about staffing and other patient care issues.

The ARH nurses have shown their commitment to their patients time and time again. They are putting their jobs on the line in support of safe staffing levels. It is time for ARH to show its nurses they are committed to doing everything in their power to improve patient care at their hospitals, which includes negotiating a fair contract and addressing the nursesa urgent concerns about patient care.

[midnight]

1. Thanks AFL-CIO...Our nurses deserve respect and decent

working conditions that include fair pay and benefits as well as manageable hours.