Federal appeals court upholds labor board decision on fired hospital employee
BOSTON — The United States First Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a decision by the National Labor Relations Board finding that Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, now Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital, violated federal labor laws by firing a nurse who wrote a letter to the editor criticizing the hospital administration amid a merger with Eastern Maine Health Care Systems (EMHS) in 2017.
The federal court issued its decision May 26.
Hospital spokeswoman Suzanne Spruce said the organization is disappointed by the court’s decision.
“While Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital will certainly abide by the court’s decision, we are nonetheless disappointed that the court declined to vacate the decision of the NLRB in its entirety,” said Spruce. “In our view, if the law provides an absolute shield to a subordinate employee who, with no basis in fact, publicly accuses her organization’s senior leadership, as well as certain of its board members, of dereliction of duty, then the law has gone too far and needs to be changed. Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital continues to take great pride in the fine care it has provided, and continues to provide, to the community in which it serves and, in particular, to the outstanding leadership provided by President John Ronan and his management team.”