Staff report

Two unions representing workers at the closed Insight Hospital and Medical Center at Trumbull will be negotiating new contracts with hospital owner, Insight Health Care.

AFSCME Ohio Council 8 Local 2026 said it will meet Tuesday with company officials, according to a published report Thursday. The organization represents more than 200 nurses who worked at the Warren facility before being laid off at the end of March.

A second union, Service Employees International Union District 1199, said it had been contacted to meet with Insight.

“We do not have any dates confirmed at this point,” an SEIU spokeswoman said in an email Friday.

SEIU District 1199 represents health care, social service and public sector workers in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky.

The Ohio Nurses Association, a union representing nurses at Insight Hospital and Medical Center Hillside in Howland, is waiting on Insight to schedule a negotiation session.

An Insight spokesman declined Friday to discuss matters involving contract talks.

Trumbull County Commissioner Rick Hernandez said earlier this month that Insight had obtained Medicare licensing for its Trumbull location. That action moves Insight closer to reopening in Warren.

On Tuesday, Insight said it was working to accomplish the same licensure for Hillside.

“We will have more information in the coming weeks as we coordinate with the regulatory authorities, union leaders and government agencies,” the company said.

One issue the health care system and unions must resolve is whether the furloughed employees will return.

“Many of our members have found other employment, but we won’t know how many are coming back until recall starts,” the SEIU spokeswoman said.

Messages left Friday for AFSCME Ohio Council 8 Local 2026 representatives were not returned.

Insight officials will meet with county commissioners and other officials in a public session at 1 p.m. Aug. 5 to discuss Hillside and Trumbull.