BANGOR, Maine (AP) — Negotiations aimed at averting a nurses strike at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor have broken down.

Current plans call for the 833 unionized nurses to hold a one-day strike on Nov. 22.

But the hospital administration says that if the strike takes place it will lock out the unionized nurses for two additional days, which would begin at 7 a.m. on Saturday and end at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Hospital officials are planning to hire replacement nurses. They say patient care will not be affected.

The Bangor Daily News says that among the contentious issues separating nurses from the hospital are nurse staffing levels, health insurance costs and the practice of moving nurses from one specialty unit to another against their wishes.

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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangornews.com