BANGOR — Officials with the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor say an effort to reach a new contract with the nurses’ union have failed.

The hospital is poised to begin a five-day lockout of the nurses who are set to call a one-day strike for May 5.

The hospital says replacement nurses are scheduled to work May 5-9.

Nurses held a one-day strike in November and the hospital locked out nurses for two days.

Representatives for the 830 unionized nurses have said the hospital’s adamant refusal to include staffing language and other key issues in the new contract undermines patient safety and erodes job satisfaction.

Hospital Vice President Greg Howat tells the Bangor Daily News the real issue is who is going to run the medical center.


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