St. Charles, St. Anne named in lawsuit

6/13/2006

St. Charles and St. Anne Mercy are among hospitals named yesterday in a lawsuit alleging that Catholic Healthcare Partners, of Cincinnati, cheats employees out of lunch breaks.

The suit, filed in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, says the state's largest health care system often requires employees to work through lunch breaks without paying them and routinely underpays for overtime. Also named are St. Rita's Medical Center, Lima, and hospitals in Cincinnati, Springfield, and Lorain.

Megan Manahan, a spokesman for the local hospitals, denied the allegations. She contended that the suit is part of an organizing drive by the Service Employees International Union.