Projo Biz Blog

Nurses and therapists at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island last night backed the possibility of a strike against the North Smithfield health-care facility if contract negotiations.

The health-care workers are upset with a demand from RehabCare Inc., which wants to buy the North Smithfield facility, that the employees accept health-care benefits different from those available under a contract that expired June 30. The workers, about 60 in all, are represented by the United Nurses & Allied Professionals.

RehabCare, of St. Louis, Mo., is seeking permission from the state to buy a majority stake in Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island from a subsidiary of Landmark Medical Center.

Landmark and its parent, Landmark Health Systems Inc., reached an agreement in September 2007 with RehabCare Group Inc. (RHB:NYSE) to jointly own and operate Rehabilitation Hospital.

According to the health-care workers' union, RehabCare has threatened to break off its deal with Landmark if the nurses and therapists don't accept a benefits package similar to the company's operations in other states.

UNAP, the union that represents the workers, considers the package "substantially inferior" to the existing health-care coverage.

 Tags  health-care workers Landmark North Smithfield RehabCare Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island

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