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Menorah Medical Center sues union

A lawsuit was filed by the HCA Healthcare-owned medical center against its nurses’ union following claims that the union violated the hospital's agreement with nurses when they filed a grievance over 401k cuts. 

Menorah Medical Center filed a lawsuit on July 31 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas against its nurses’ union.

The lawsuit proceeded a grievance that was filed by the union which claims Menorah Medical Center, “unilaterally made changes to the 401k in a manner that was discriminatory to the bargaining unit members and in violation of the contract.” 

Owned by HCA Midwest Health, Menorah Medical in turn filed the suit arguing that the union violated the hospital’s agreement with nurses by filing a grievance and requesting arbitration when Menorah cut retirement benefits.  

Menorah Medical said that its current agreement with nurses, which expires in May 2021, allows the hospital to make changes to the 401k plan that are not subject to grievance or arbitration procedures.

Menorah claims the union ignored a written letter it sent to the group, leading to the July 31 filing.

“This is a transparent effort by HCA and Menorah Medical Center to distract from their abysmal failure amidst a surging pandemic to assure proper safety measures, putting patients and frontline caregivers at risk, by continuing to refuse to provide proper staffing and life-saving personal protective equipment,” the National Nurses United Organizing Committee said in a statement to Becker’s Hospital Review.

“HCA is the wealthiest hospital system in the United States. It made $1.1 billion in profits in the second quarter of 2020, and it received $1.7 billion from the CARES Act, as well as more than $4 billion in Medicare payments. It should be using its wealth and resources to focus on public health and safety,” the union said in the statement.