FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2026
(East Liverpool, OH)—Today, the East Liverpool Nurses Association, a local of the Ohio Nurses Association, presented a petition to the East Liverpool City Hospital and its owner, the Los Angeles-based Prime Healthcare Foundation, demanding that the hospital and ownership agree to meet at reasonable times and bargain in good faith with the nurses’ union.
“Nurse staffing levels at East Liverpool City Hospital are critically short, putting patient safety and nurses’ licenses at risk,” said Bobbie Kerns, East Liverpool Nurses Association President. “Not only has the hospital refused to listen to nurses’ suggestions for ways to address these shortages, they are also refusing to commit to a reasonable bargaining schedule. Our contract expires on July 21, and we have only one confirmed meeting date between the union and the hospital. The hospital and Prime continue to make clear their lack of commitment to both patient safety and nurses’ working conditions.”
“Unfortunately, this is just more of the same from East Liverpool City Hospital and Prime Healthcare,” said Rick Lucas, President of the Ohio Nurses Association. “In November 2020, nurses engaged in a three-day strike against unfair labor practices, and the hospital ultimately had to pay more than $170,000 in back pay and interest to nurses. Once again, we have had to file an unfair labor practice allegation with the National Labor Relations Board. It is long past time for East Liverpool City Hospital and Prime Healthcare Foundation to sit down at the bargaining table and finally prioritize the safety of their patients and the nurses who care for them.”
The Ohio Nurses Association is Ohio’s professional union for nurses and health professionals, dedicated to uniting and empowering nurses and healthcare workers, championing their rights, promoting professional practice, and advocating for quality care for all patients in Ohio.
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