HARRIS — Over 75 nurses and their supporters picketed at the entrance of Community General Hospital in Harris last Tuesday

It wasn’t a strike.

"We want the public to know that the nurses do not have a contract because the hospital authorities have taken a stance and refuse to negotiate," said Mark Genovese, assistant director of communications for the New York State Nurses Association, the union that represents 125 of the nurses who work at the hospital.

On the negotiating table are several issues: a hospital plan to reduce vacation and sick days, a one- to two-percent pay raise, a plan to decrease pension benefits, a new health plan and a request by nurses to sit on a committee that regulates the use of latex gloves.

"In the last contract, the nurses agreed to give back a week of vacation and sick time," Genovese said. "Now, they want them to give back seven more days. We think it’s time to stop this trend. We were willing to help the hospital through a rough time last year, but we don’t want to do it all the time."

Genovese said the picketing was not about money, although he felt the one- to two-percent raise was not an acceptable amount.

The negotiation teams from the hospital and the nurses association have met seven times without any progress. "It’s not going well," said Georgia VanDyke, nursing representative from the nurses association.

Mandated overtime is another sore spot. "The hospital gives little notice to a nurse when they want overtime," Genovese said.

Part of the reason for the opposition to mandated overtime, according to Nurse Steve Marra, was the high patient-to-nurse ratio. "We’re tired because we have to take care of so many patients. If they hired more nurses and cut the ratio down, we wouldn’t oppose the overtime so much," he said.

The nurses picketed from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. without incident.