State Attorney General George Jepsen is asking managers at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London to reconsider their decision to bar from work employees who had recently been on strike.
Jepsen said the approximately 800 union workers called off their strike and have said they are willing to return to their jobs while talks continue. A federal mediator is slated to partake in the talks today.
“L + M need not wait for negotiations to start, or to bear fruit, before permitting workers to return to their jobs,” Jepsen said.
Jepsen’s urging comes after Gov. Dannel Malloy criticized L+M management last week, saying the lockout showed “blatant disregard” for employees and patients.
Hospital management has said patient care would not be impacted during the lockout because it has hired replacement nurses and other staff.
To avoid any perceived conflict of interest, Jepsen said his office will recuse itself from any legal or regulatory action that may arise from the dispute.
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