Cuyahoga County Jail Nurses and Medical Personnel to Retain Jobs

Cuyahoga County Jail Nurses and Medical Personnel to Retain Jobs

Workers and Community Prevail

CLEVELAND – After facing possible job cuts, UAW Region 2-B and AFSCME COUNCIL 8 announced this afternoon that an agreement has been reached to protect the jobs of all County Jail RNs and medical personnel through the transition to Metro Health Administration.

“UAW members, brothers and sisters at AFSCME, and our community have shown that our voices and our solidarity can protect the jobs of a few brothers and sisters in the face of powerful obstacles,” said Rich Rankin, Director of UAW Region 2-B. 

“I’d like to personally thank AFSCME’s John Lyall for his solidarity and Senator Sherrod Brown who arranged a meeting with MetroHealth Systems CEO Dr. Akram Boutros and Chief of Staff Jane Platten in what resulted in a very positive and productive meeting,” Rankin added. He also singled out Northshore AFL-CIO President Pat Gallagher and Executive Director Harriet Applegate, former Ohio AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Petee Talley and Representative Marcy Kaptur for their work to protect these hardworking Clevelanders who faced job loss.

Rankin said thousands of UAW locals and members, as well as fellow Clevelanders, stood up for the voices of a few working men and women. He added that AFSCME and the UAW have called off a planned picket line demonstration of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Dinner.

“The UAW will continue to hold all politicians from any party affiliation accountable when they do not vote in the best interests of working men and women and respect the organized labor unions who have supported them,” said Rankin. 

“Our UAW members proudly go to work every day to take care of those incarcerated in a difficult environment,” said Rankin. “Thanks to support from the community, labor and UAW brothers and sisters they will keep coming to work everyday and provide the best care possible for those incarcerated.”