St. Vincent's Hospital Closing and Violation of Federal and State Warns Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 10, 2010 

The closing of St. Vincent’s Hospital on Friday, May 1, 2010 that resulted in the layoff of 3,500 employees appears to have violated the federal Worker and Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (“WARN Act”). It also appears to have violated the New York WARN Act. The statutes require that employers give sixty and ninety days, respectively, advance notice of any closure or mass layoff. The penalty for failing to give such notice is wages and benefits that the employee would have been entitled to during the notice period.  

“We have spoken with several employees and union representatives,” said Charles A. Ercole, a partner with Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg, LLP. “We are continuing our investigation and intend to file a class action lawsuit or class proof of claim in the bankruptcy court.” 

Mr. Ercole and his firm have successfully handled more than a dozen WARN Act cases. For more information on this article or the WARN Act, please do not hesitate to contact Charles A. Ercole, Esquire, Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP, 1835 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, cercole@klehr.com. .