Southcoast Hospital Group Responds To NLRB Complaint

The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against the Southcoast Hospital Group alleging it's bargained in bad faith with nurses at Tobey Hospital in Wareham.

The union representing those nurses, the Mass. Nurses Association, says bargaining began in November, 2014, but the hospital declared an impasse less than six months later. Spokesman David Schildmeier says the union learned about the NLRB's action earlier this month.

"There is no justification for them (Southcoast) declaring an impasse the way they did, ceasing negotiations. We had no doubt they had violated federal labor laws and that's why we went to the NLRB, and the NLRB obviously agreed and filed the labor complaint against them," said Schildmeier.

Southcoast spokesman Peter Cohenno said in a statement Monday, "there has been no finding of any kind against against Southcoast, and that the NLRB recognizing the complaint is a common occurrence in these situations."

He said the hospital group is looking forward to a hearing so they can demonstrate its acted in good faith.