New London - Lawrence & Memorial Hospital registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and technicians will vote Wednesday on whether to go on strike Nov. 16 if a contract dispute over sick-time benefits remains unresolved.

In a news conference Monday, union leaders said more than two months of negotiations on a new three-year contract have broken down over a few key issues, adding that the most crucial disagreement is over sick time.

The hospital is seeking major changes in sick-time policies that now allow nurses and technicians 12 paid sick days per year that can be carried over to the next year if unused. The hospital, they said, would change that to five paid sick days per year that would not accumulate. Employees who need more than five days would then receive 60 percent pay per sick day through a short-term disability insurance system that would be administered by a third-party company, but it wouldn't take effect until seven days after the same illness.

Leaders of the two AFT unions that represent about 700 LPNs, RNs and technicians said the sick-time change would be a threat to patient and worker health and safety, potentially driving hospital workers to come into work when they are ill.

"Our sick time will not be taken away," said Katherine Martin, president of Local 5051 of the AFT, the union representing LPNs and technicians. "It's not like we're arguing over wages. We're arguing over the safety of our patients."

She said the unions are fighting to preserve the sick-time benefits at the direction of membership based on the results of polls about their chief concerns in the contract negotiations.

"They made it very clear to us that this issue is very important," Martin said.

Three more negotiating sessions are scheduled before the current contract expires Nov. 16. By law, the union has to give the hospital 10 days' notice before a strike. If the members approve a strike with the vote Wednesday, the union would have the option to call a strike, but it could reach a resolution with the hospital before a strike occurs.

There has never been a strike at L&M in the 40 years its workers have been represented by unions. In 2005, union membership authorized a strike, but it was averted with a contract agreement.

In response to the union's statements, the hospital said Monday it is taking the strike threat seriously. It would not comment on its sick-time proposal or other specifics of the contract negotiations.

"We are preparing strike contingency plans accordingly," Kelly Anthony, hospital spokesman, said in a statement. "We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union in the hope that both sides can achieve their goals without economic hardship to our employees and their families."

Greg Kotecki, field representative for AFT Connecticut, said L&M's proposal is "unprecedented" among its peer hospitals and would strip some dedicated, longtime employees of thousands of accumulated hours of sick time they had earned.

"These are people who are exposed to all types of illnesses all the time," Kotecki said. L&M "hasn't been able to demonstrate that it (the sick time policy) has been a problem."

The hospital, Kotecki said, is financially strong compared to many of its peer hospitals and can afford to maintain current sick-time policies. Sick time taken by nurses and other patient-care workers forces the hospital in many cases to have to find and pay for substitutes to fill those shifts.

The hospital is contending the sick policy change would save $2.5 million per year, Kotecki said, but he added that that equals only 2 percent of L&M's entire payroll.

Kotecki also said hospital negotiators have not provided the union with essential details about how the new sick-time policy would work. He laid the blame for the breakdown in talks on Peter Fraser, L&M's vice president of human relations, who was hired by L&M 2 1/2 years ago. Anthony said Fraser would not respond.

Kotecki said other unresolved issues in the contract talks include the length of the new contract and health insurance benefits. The union is seeking another three-year contract while the hospital wants a two-year agreement.

Also, the hospital wants to be able to change health insurance co-pay amounts and prescription drug benefits without negotiating with the union. The union, Kotecki said, understands that with spiraling health insurance costs, the hospital may have to charge employees more for their health coverage, but that the union doesn't want to forfeit the right to bargain over those issues.

About 40 members of both unions flanked Martin, Kotecki and Lisa D'Abrosca, president of the RN union, at the news conference outside the hospital's main entrance. Kotecki said about 200 members have sat in on negotiation sessions, the most recent of which concluded at about 4:15 p.m. Monday, a few minutes before the news conference began. He added that he still hopes an agreement can be reached.

"We hope calmer heads will prevail and we'll get an agreement," he said.