"Only a Grinch would take away our staffing," striking Pa. nurses say
BRISTOL, Pa. (CBS) -- Picketing nurses at two Pennsylvania hospitals have incorporated a holiday theme into their strike.
Lined up in the cold outside Subuirban Community Hospital and Lower Bucks Hospital, over 200 nurses carried signs saying "only a Grinch would take away our holiday staffing" and "Prime is on the naughty list."
They even brought an inflatable Grinch to their picket.
The nurses, members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals union, are striking against Prime Healthcare Services for better pay, benefits and staffing levels.
The strike comes as Prime is reportedly planning to sell three local hospitals including Suburban Community and Lower Bucks as well as Roxborough Memorial Hospital.
Nurses have been working without a new contract for two months after negotiations with Prime, a California-based company that owns 44 hospitals in 14 states.
The union says Prime has proposed cutting positions and increasing patient-to-nurse ratios. Citing research in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the union says increasing the patient-to-nurse ratio past 4:1 increases the risks of patient death by 7% for each additional patient.
The strike is expected to last five days.
Prime's response to nurses' strike
Prime sent a statement to CBS News Philadelphia stating they continue to bargain in good faith with the union leaders.
"It is disappointing that despite progress being made, the union has walked away from negotiations and has chosen to strike, but that will not impact our commitment to providing quality patient care to our communities throughout the holidays and always," the statement reads. "Some staff made the decision to put patients first by crossing the picket line. We value all of our employees and their dedication to caring for our community, and we are committed to ensuring a workplace that honors their work and continues to provide lifesaving care for the most vulnerable."
Prime says the hospitals will stay open.
"We are fully staffed with qualified temporary resources across our nursing and non-nursing departments, and we will maintain services and compliance with regulatory standards."
