Another strike.

The Kentucky Nurses Association has announced it will conduct a strike beginning Dec. 12 that will affect Middlesboro Appalachian Regional Hospital and the other eight hospitals in the ARH chain.

According to a letter addressed to Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) leaders, the union has accused the company of violating the collective bargaining agreement the two organizations signed in 2001.

“… Dec. 12 is the date that ARH has announced that it will unilaterally abolish modified workweek schedules for a large number of registered nurses at ARH hospitals. ARH’s threatened action will impose a terrible hardship on RN’s and their families, constitutes a clear breach of the parties’ collective bargaining agreement and seriously undermines the parties’ collective bargaining relationship.”

According to the letter, the strike will involved registered nurses who are members of the union.

A company statement announcing the rescheduling move stated that registered nurses in ARH hospitals only work 36 hours, but are actually paid for 40 hours worth of work.

“ARH management has been analyzing staffing needs for some time and has found that a substantial amount of non-productive time provided by the modified schedule drains financial resources that could be utilized to provide system improvements in patient care.”

The statement said ARH was willing to work with the union to “explore other scheduling options, including some limited use of 36 for 40, where it determines that the practice is feasible and appropriate for individual nursing units.”

The hospital did decline the union’s request to have the matter submitted for arbitration.

In a separate statement, ARH spokeswoman Candace Elkins said the company was currently, “…Evaluating the notice and how it relates to the contract, what it actually means, and how ARH will respond.”

“The company feels that it was their option that they could just take away,” said Bruce Saylor, vice president of the Local 106 of the Kentucky Nurses Association.

“There are 840 nurses in the ARH system and 80 percent of them are working the modified workweek schedule,” said Saylor.

Middlesboro ARH employs approximately 65 nurses.

Saylor said the change will impose hardships on the nurses who have scheduled their lives around their three, weekly 12-hour workdays.