CHS Defies Court Orders to End Illegal Retaliation against RNs in its hospitals nationwide. Just weeks after speaking out at a national press conference about rampant patient safety problems at the nation’s largest hospital chain, two registered nurse leaders have been targeted for termination by Community Health Systems, National Nurses United (NNU) reported today.

With growing public alarm over widening income disparity – and the broad effect on American families – the nation’s largest organization of nurses today called on President Obama in his State of the Union address Tuesday to lead the charge on fighting the income gap and poverty with two big initial steps.

Rare Third Court Order in a Year Against Major Hospital Chain. A U.S. District Court Judge has delivered a sweeping cease and desist injunction requiring Affinity Medical Center of Massillon, Oh to end its lawless behavior in refusing to bargain with its registered nurses and engaging in repeated illegal discipline and harassment of its RNs. The ruling, issued January 22 by U.S. District Court Judge John Adams of the Northern Ohio District, is the third injunction within a year against affiliates of Tennessee-based Community Health Systems, now the nation’s largest hospital chain, for rampant violations of federal labor law.