Northside Nurses Ratify Agreement with Steward

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Nearly one month after nurses from Northside Regional Medical Center were told they would soon be out of a job, union representatives have ratified an agreement with the hospital’s owner, Steward Health Care.

On Wednesday, the Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association voted to ratify closure and separation agreements with Steward. The union cannot disclose additional details per the terms of the agreement. The union’s president, Laurie Hornberger, could not be reached for comment.

The union presented Steward with its proposal on Thursday, Sept. 7. Later that evening, Hornberger confirmed that they had reached an agreement with Steward that was subject to ratification by the union’s membership. Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association represents nearly 200 nurses at Northside.

While details of the agreement have not been released, unions representing the nurses at the local, state and national level have made it clear that the goals of negotiations were to keep a medical facility on the north side of Youngstown and to ensure the nurses were treated fairly.

Steward plans to close Northside Regional Medical Center on Sept. 20. The closure announcement was made amid contract negotiations with the nurses that had been ongoing since April, during which time the nurses were ready to take another year-long contract extension that would have meant no increase to salaries.

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