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6/18/2008 3:33 AM

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By Michael Bradwell

Business editor

mbradwell@observer-reporter.com

CANONSBURG - Workers represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 23 at Town View Health and Rehabilitation Center went on strike at 7 a.m. Tuesday after efforts to negotiate a new contract at the nursing home failed.

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UFCW business agent Leslie Bond said about 30 members represented by the union in laundry, housekeeping, dietary and maintenance, as well as certified nurse's aides and licensed practical nurses, had been working under a contract extension since the old contract expired in February.

She said a state mediator is working with both sides, but said the last negotiating session was held several weeks ago. The contract extension ended Sunday.

According to Bond, the union is protesting management's demand to replace the existing health-insurance benefit package with another one that will significantly increase the co-pays of members; eliminating the UFCW legal fund that provides assistance for workers in tax preparation, adoptions and divorce; management's demand to eliminate overtime for those who work holidays or beyond eight hours; and shifting the economic burden of maintaining the pension fund from the employer to employees.

Town View spokesman Chris Shaw said that management's last offer was to increase the pay of the workers by 20 to 30 percent in exchange for eliminating some of the other benefits.

Paul Brophy, Local 23's director of collective bargaining, said the union originally asked for a wage increase of 4 percent over the next three years. While wages are important, Brophy said, the biggest stumbling block is health care, especially the prescription program proposed for the new health plan.

"The prescription program will cost a tremendous amount of money out-of-pocket," he said, noting that many of the workers are older and require multiple prescriptions.

Bond said workers have an average of more than 15 years of employment at the nursing home.

"These people have been here for years and worked very hard to hold onto what they had," Bond said. "They just don't want to go backward."

Shaw disputed the number of employees represented by the UFCW, saying he believed the number to be in the single digits.

He said the nursing home, which formerly operated under the Horizon banner until about two years ago, has 76 residents and employs a total of 100 people.

"The majority of folks here don't want this to happen," Shaw said of the strike.

He said Town View will use temporary workers and other employees to fill in for the duration of the strike.

No new talks are scheduled.

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