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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 16, 2004 Board rejects settlement with nurse By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Jackson County commissioners have declined to sign a $34,000 settlement agreement with a former county nurse practitioner who said she was wrongly fired. Bunny Lewis’ lawyer blamed media reports for jeopardizing the deal. "Ms. Lewis was inaccurately attributed statements which have put her settlement with the county at risk," attorney Joe Charter wrote in an e-mail to the Mail Tribune. Mail Tribune Editor Bob Hunter said the paper stands by the Tuesday story. Lewis, 53, was fired in February after 12 years with the county. Charter declined further comment Wednesday. Lewis filed a grievance alleging wrongful termination with SEIU Local 503 of the Oregon Public Employees Union. The grievance argues that Lewis was fired without just cause, said Rachel Chartier, union steward for Jackson County Health and Human Services. Advertisement Specifically, the union alleges that county officials failed to use progressive discipline procedures before firing Lewis, a contract violation, said Lisa Logue, organizing assistant for the union. Commissioners were considering Tuesday an order authorizing County Administrator Sue Slack to execute the settlement that would award Lewis $27,000 in back pay and $7,000 in attorney’s fees. But Commissioner Sue Kupillas said the panel had questions about the proposed settlement. In particular, she said wording in a proposed letter of recommendation for Lewis needed to be reworked and that Lewis’ comments to the press raised new issues. "There were several agreements we had in this," Kupillas said. "Some of the statements that were reported weren’t consistent with our settlement." The settlement stipulates that "the parties agree that neither will disparage or speak ill of the other." The Mail Tribune story reported that Lewis said she was wrongfully terminated and indicated it was because the county didn’t follow union rules and regulations. The story also said she disagreed with a county move to limit services to family planning clients only, effectively eliminating menopausal women and those who’d had hysterectomies. Charter said Lewis referred a reporter to SEIU officials and he wrote that "she would have liked to be able to provide health care services to patients not requiring family planning, but recognized that budget cuts forced the county to make cuts in services." SEIU officials could not be reached for comment Monday. The future of the settlement is unclear. Asked whether the county was backing away from the agreement on a technicality, Assistant County Counsel Doug McGeary demurred. "It may look like that, but we are still in the process," he said. "The matter isn’t final." The union grievance remains outstanding, Logue said. If a settlement isn’t reached and the matter isn’t resolved, it could proceed to binding arbitration. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities