Local 5004 Merger News, December 4, 2020

On December 3rd, we learned that the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) filed an administrative complaint and authorized a suit in federal court to block Hackensack Meridian Health’s acquisition of Englewood Healthcare Foundation. Furthermore, there will be an administrative trial scheduled to begin June 15, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey.

What does this mean for our local:

• details are few but the merger is on hold
• EH could look for other affiliations
• right now, it looks like we will be negotiating with EH in the spring
• what impact, if any, will other HMH contracts have on our negotiations
• Public Policy Department will reach out for legal advice on the process and potential impact on members
• members will be kept informed when information becomes available

To be clear, HPAE is not opposed to a merger. We just want to ensure that our collective bargaining agreement is upheld and that the community that we serve is not adversely affected.

Any questions, contact union leadership.