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10—The Daily Collegian Thursday, April 8, 1982
"We are optimistic and hope not to have to
strike/
— David Cormier, union vice president
Nursing Home workers postpone strike
By TRACY EDWARDS
Collegian Staff Writer
A possible strike by State College Manor Nursing Home
employees has been postponed and negotiations are continuing,
Michael Becker, the home's administrator, said yesterday.
"The strike is kind of on hold pending further notice," Becker
said.
The union of 140 nursing home employees, the National Union
of Health Care Employees, District 1199P, had filed a' strike
notice that became effective yesterday at 7 a.m. The union has
a 72-hour period, which will end 7 a.m. Saturday to take any
action, including a strike, Becker said. '
The union and the nursing home administration, in negotiations
Tuesday, agreed to extend the current contract until April
19 and continue negotiations, said David Cormier, vice president
of the union.
Because the union's 72-hour period to call a strike will expire
Saturday, the union filed a new strike notice, so that if the
parties do not come to any agreement, the union still has the
option to strike.
The new period will begin on April 19 at 7 a.m., and remain in
effect until 7 a.m. April 22. If the workers decide to strike they
must do so in that 72-hour period.
If the two parties come to an agreement, a new contract will
6e drawn up with the administration's final offer to the union,
Becker said.
Cormier said the union did not accept the administration's
original contract offer and had scheduled the strike because the
offer contained no increase in salary or benefits for the next 18
months. .
Because the union found the previous offer unacceptable, the
two parties are trying to work out an agreement concerning
wage increase and benefits in the current negotiations, Becker
said.
If the parties reach an agreement, the new contract will be
retroactive to April 4, Cormier said.
The union has filed the new strike notice so the workers have
the security of something to fall back on if they need to, but the
union is hoping for a settlement, Cormier said.
"We are optimistic and hope not to have to strike," he said.
In Tuesday's negotiations, the administration changed its
original offer of no wage or benefits increase for the next 18
months to an offer of a 5-cent per hour wage increase for every
$2 Medicaid gives the nursing home, Cormier said.
"They put a nickle on the table," he said.
The workers consider the 5-cent increase still too small,
especially since it is conditional — depending on extra funds to
the home from the government, Cormier said.
A federal mediator has been ,involved in the negotiations
since the start of the talks and will be there next week for the
continuing talks, Becker said.
Nursing center offers programs
By PHIL EVANS
Collegian Staff Writer
Wide variety
The Nursing Consultation Center
will offer a wide range of programs
this spring designed to further an
individual's awareness of physical
and mental problems, programs that
will culminate in a two-day health fair
on April 29 and 30.
Two programs — "Learn to Relax,"
about methods of tension release, and
"Human Sexuality as an Adult," concerning
misunderstandings about sexual
functions — will begin today, said
Alice Tetreault, director of the Nursing
Consultation Center.
The "Learn to Relax" program will
attempt to isolate the participants'
concerns and then structure a technique
allowing them to release accumulated
tension, Tetreault said.
"They gain a way of placing themselves
in a state of relaxation that
would only take about five or ten
minutes," she said.'lt is something
that can be done anywhere."
The program will consist of four
practice sessions over a five-week
period, with the initial session from
of sessions include tension release
3:30 to 5 this afternoon, Tetreault
said. The class size will be limited to
12 people. The cost will be $10 for the
four-session course.
Also scheduled to start today is the
"Human Sexuality as an Adult" program,
which attempts to identify
facts and fallacies about sexual anatomy
and function of the participants,
Tetreault said. The course will have
four sessions from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and
will cost $12.
She said the course will focus on
four sexual concerns: perception, response,
expectation of pleasure during
intimacy, and prevention of
problems. Instructors will attempt to
answer individual questions.
The Nursing Consultation Center,
located in Human Development East,
will also be the location of the Health
Fair, which will have many exhibits,
films, and screening tests geared to
all adults, Tetreault said.
The fair will offer visitors the
chance to undergo screening tests for
hearing, vision and blood pressure
and will present discussion groups on
prenatal concerns and marriage relations,
she said.
lyiany groups, in addition to the
Nursing Consultation Center, will be
involved in the Health Fair, including
the American Red Cross and various
departments in the College of Human
Development, Tetreault said. _
This year's Health Fair is an outgrowth
of a program sponsored last
year by the University at the Ritenour
Health Center, and Tetreault said she
hopes to offer more, programs for
visitors.
The future of the fair will be held
next year largely depends upon the
interest shown through student turnout
in this year's fair, she said.
Later this spring - the center will
begin a program titled "Being Able to
Talk About It," which will try to make
participants recognize the reality of
stress in their lives, Tetreault said.
. "It will promote strategies to improve
communication in interpersonal
relationships," she said.
The program will consist of three
two-hour sessions from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m. beginning May 6.
More information on any of the
programs is available at the Nursing
Consultation Center.
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