Manchin Remains Interested in ARH Strike

After sending administration officials to monitor talks meant to end an ongoing nurses' strike, Gov. Joe Manchin has proposed a "cooling-off period."

As The Associated Press' Tom Breen reports, "Manchin suggested that striking nurses consider returning to their jobs for 90 days under the old contract while negotiations continue. He made the suggestion when he and a representative of Kentucky Gov.-elect Steve Beshear met with union officials at the state Capitol."

The strike targets hospitals owned by Appalachian Regional Healthcare. "About 600 of the 750 registered nurses at ARH hospitals have refused to cross the picket line," AP reports. "With seven facilities in Eastern Kentucky and two in West Virginia, Lexington-based ARH is the region's largest hospital system."