ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) - Nurses have begun a one-day strike at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s hospital in Altoona.
The nurses last month announced plans for a one-day strike on Tuesday after rejecting UPMC’s last contract offer. The sides reopened talks, but failed to reach a deal, and UPMC has said it has hired 270 replacements to keep the hospital staffed.
The 380-bed hospital about 85 miles east of Pittsburgh became UPMC Altoona when it affiliated with the Pittsburgh-based hospital network last year. It was previously known as Altoona Regional Hospital.
Hospital officials say they planned to keep the replacements on the job beyond Tuesday, because they can’t hire them for one day only. The nurses’ union, SEIU Healthcare PA has threatened to file unfair labor practice charges if that happens.
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