TUH remains open and continues to provide full array of quality services

There are only two parties to the current labor dispute – PASNAP and Temple University Hospital (TUH). TUH is located at Broad & Ontario, in North Philadelphia. There is no reason for PASNAP to have attempted a disruption at Rittenhouse Square today.  

The strike against TUH is about wages and benefits only.  

Temple University Hospital's Last, Best and Final offer is fair, reasonable and competitive in the marketplace.  

Our nurses make an average of $39.80 an hour – which is among the highest in the region.  

We offered fair wage-increases to our nurses and allied-health professionals.  The union is demanding a 14.5% increase for both groups.   In today's economy, their position is unreasonable.  

There is no "gag clause."   The Hospital's Non-Disparagement clause is designed to prevent the union from continuing its disparaging attacks on the Hospital's business practices and services.   PASNAP is well aware of the intent of the clause – which in no way prevents our employees from fulfilling their patient-advocacy obligations.  

On March 24, 2010, the Hospital offered to drop its Non-Disparagement clause in its Last, Best and Final offer in order to reach a settlement.  The union leadership rejected that offer.

As we've said repeatedly, patient care is our highest priority ... and remains our highest priority.  

As soon as we received a strike notice, we activated our Continuing Operations Plan to ensure our ability to provide uninterrupted, quality care to our patients.  

Our 400 Temple doctors are directing all patient care, and they are being ably assisted by 3,000 other non-striking Hospital employees, as well as our fully-qualified, licensed and credentialed nursing, technical and professional workforce.

Further, prior to our receipt of a strike notice, and once again when we received a strike notice, Temple University Hospital provided the Pennsylvania Department of Health with a full briefing of its Continuing Operations Plan.  

TUH is in daily contact with the Department of Health to provide ongoing updates.   During the past week, the Department of Health visited our Hospital on multiple occasions in order to ensure that we are in compliance with our Continuing Operations Plan and all applicable regulations.

We are outraged that the union leadership continues with its irresponsible attempts to frighten our patients and the community about the quality of care being provided at TUH by making unfounded and self-serving allegations.  In fact, these antics support our claims of defamation against PASNAP that are now pending before the court, and demonstrate the union's intent to use any tactic they can to garner support – even at the expense of our patients.

Temple University Hospital remains open and continues to provide its full array of uninterrupted, quality services.