A U.S. District Court judge has issued a cease and desist injunction requiring an Ohio hospital owned by Community Health Systems to to negotiate with its registered nurses, according to a release from nurses' union National Nurses United.

The order, issue Jan. 22 by Judge John Adams of the Northern Ohio District, instructs Affinity Medical Center of Massillon, Ohio, to do the following, according to the release:

• Cease and desists its refusal to recognize and bargain with its registered nurses
  
  
• Offer full reinstatement within five days to an RN who was fired for union activity and retract the report it made to the Ohio Board of Nursing regarding her nursing license
  
  
• End all discipline and harassment of RNs
  
  
• Cease threats of physical harm to RNs who submit forms to management objecting to unsafe patient care assignments and urging improvements for patient safety
  
  
• Cease telling RNs the hospital "would enjoy disciplining known union supporters," and "imposing more onerous working conditions" on union supporters.
  
  
• Stop barring access to the hospital to a representative from the National Nurses Organizing Committee-Ohio
  
  

Last June, National Labor Relations Board Administrative Law judge Arthur Lachman issued a similar ruling, the release says.

According to the release, this is the third such ruling against CHS affiliates related to federal labor law violations.

Franklin-based CHS also faced resistance from National Nurses United early this month,when shareholders at Florida-based Health Management Associates were scheduled to vote on CHS’s acquisition of the company. Shareholders approved the deal, which is expected to close by the end of the month.

By Eleanor Kennedy