Hospitals Hire Temp Workers In Anticipation of Strike

Lifespan, Rhode Island’s largest hospital network, has hired more than 1,000 nurses and other replacement workers for Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s Hospital in anticipation of a possible strike Monday.

The United Nurses and Allied Professional (UNAP) Local 5098 rejected the hospitals’ offer of a three-year contract and last week issued a 10-day strike notice. The two sides have been in federally-mediated negotiations.

Lifespan officials said in a statement late Tuesday that the company had wired $10 million to a temporary staffing agency to secure the replacement workers. The hires had to be made in time to “mobilize people, make travel arrangements and secure accommodations,” the statement reads.

Hospital officials had warned UNAP that if it did not rescind its strike notice by the end of business Tuesday, they would move ahead with hiring replacement workers – and take the $10 million out of their contract offer.

Read more: http://ripr.org/post/hospitals-hire-temp-workers-anticipation-strike