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| Private health care providers vote to strike |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 06/27/2005 |
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About 380 nurses, mental health care providers and pharmacy employees could walk off the job at 23 Illinois state prisons if contract negotiations between the employees' union and a state contractor fail. Employees represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees voted 356-5 to authorize a strike against Wexford Health Sources. AFSCME claims Wexford is paying "vastly inferior" wages and benefits to its workers compared with the pay state employees receive for doing similar work. The contract expires June 30. Buddy Maupin, AFSCME's chief negotiator, said about 380 Wexford workers at 23 prisons would strike starting July 5 if no deal is reached, leaving some inmates without medical attention. The Department of Corrections is optimistic an agreement can be reached but has plans in place to ensure inmate needs are met in case of a strike, department spokeswoman Dede Short said. "It's our hope and expectation that they resolve their issues before the contract deadline," Short said. Maupin said the union "would always rather settle a contract at the bargaining table than in the streets, but if it takes more than that ... workers are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve dignity and decency on the job." Elaine Gedman, vice president of human resources and risk management with Wexford, said the company was surprised to learn of the strike vote because the two sides have another round of bargaining scheduled with a federal mediator Wednesday and Thursday. |
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