CGH Nurses Plan
To Picket This Tuesday

By Dan Hust
HARRIS — March 10, 2000 -- The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) announced yesterday that nurses at Community General Hospital of Sullivan County (CGH) will picket at the Harris facility this Tuesday.
Scheduled for 2-4 p.m., the picket will include some of the 125 registered nurses from CGH in an attempt to inform the public of what they claim are difficult working conditions.
Citing alleged hospital requirements that nurses give up paid vacation time, reduce their wages and work unusually long hours, NYSNA negotiator Martha Hogarth said, “We understand these giveback demands are the result of the hospital’s financial condition. But as far as we can see, the hospital has no plan to work itself out of its financial troubles other than to make cuts at the expense of nursing staff.
“Not only is this unfair, it threatens the quality of direct patient care,” continued Hogarth. “The nurses are not going to stand by and let that happen.”
Although the hospital and the nurses have been working on a contract since the old one expired at the end of last year, hospital spokesperson Selma Field would not comment on specifics.
“We do not negotiate in the press,” she said, adding that she and hospital administrators hope the concerns of all involved will be settled amicably.