By: Ray Hershel

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (abc40)--A slowing economy is taking a toll on Western Massachusetts.

One area hospital is bracing for another round of layoffs.

Nurses at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton say the latest round of layoffs are expected to be announced on Monday.

Nurses Union Spokesperson Sally Surgen feels nurses will bear the brunt of the layoffs because the union did not agree to concessions the hospital was seeking, " We negotiated a contract in good faith, we spent a lot of time, money and effort in bargaining and we felt this was a fair contract and the hospital has options other than layoffs."

 Another member of the nurses union, Cheryl Fox, says the hospital has a surplus, "The big point I would like the community to know is that we are not operating at a deficit, that the hospital has not lost money, they just didn't make as much as they wanted to."

But Cooley Dickinson Hospital CEO Craig Melin says the economy has changed more dramatically than we could anticipate, "I see my role as leading us to create a path by which we can provide the care the community deserves in a way that also protects the care delivery system now and for the long term. Unfortunately when  the economy deteriorates we are faced with tough choices."

To protest the layoffs nurses are planning to hold an informational picket line in front of the hospital on Monday afternoon from 4pm to 6pm.