By Will Tuell

Barring a last-minute agreement, a union representing nurses and lab technicians at Down East Community Hospital (DECH) in Machias announced on April 19 that they will be going on strike for two days later this month. The decision comes as the two sides remain at loggerheads over a contract, which expired last October, and follows a late January rally where union members pushed for what they call “safe staffing” levels and better pay.