A picket Monday outside Baystate Health's corporate headquarters in Springfield, Mass., drew approximately 50 nurses represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association and supporters, according to a report on MassLive.com.
The Massachusetts nurses, from Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield and Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield, and their supporters protested over contract disputes at the hospitals.
Baystate Franklin nurse Donna Stern, who also serves as senior chairwoman for the hospital's bargaining unit, said in the report nurses decided to picket at the Baystate Health corporate headquarters to ensure they were heard where the system makes decisions.
"We're here to send a message to them that we're unified, that we're together, we're here for safe patient care and it's time for them to negotiate and bargain in good faith, which up to now they have not been doing," Ms. Stern said.
Paul Dubin, a nurse with Baystate Noble and co-chair with the union bargaining committee, echoed Ms. Stern in the report, saying nurses "have a voice because we stand together as a union."
"We are the voice of our patients and our colleagues when they cannot speak," he added. "By trying to silence MNA nurses, Baystate is going after the communities it is supposed to serve."
Baystate Health sent out a statement Monday, expressing disappointment in the unionized nurses' picket action.
"The Massachusetts Nurses Association continues to attack and take divisive actions against our commonwealth's healthcare systems and hospitals ...We are disappointed by the MNA's ongoing use of a public pressure campaign and extreme tactics during its ongoing contract negotiations with our hospitals in Greenfield and Westfield," Jane Albert, senior vice president of marketing, communications and external relations said.
Ms. Albert also noted the union's recent actions at multiple hospitals in the state, such as a June strike at Baystate Franklin and a July strike at Boston-based Tufts Medical Center. She said MNA strikes cost nonprofit hospitals "tens of millions of dollars," which, according to Ms. Albert, would be better spent caring for "patients and reinvesting into our hospitals … and healthcare workers who dedicate their lives to taking care of people during their greatest time of need."
MNA nurses at Baystate Franklin and Baystate Noble have been in contract negotiations since November 2016 and February 2016, respectively.
Ben Craft, senior director of government and public affairs at Baystate Health, has said the health system presented its "last, best final offer" to the respective MNA bargaining committees June 21. Baystate Franklin believes the terms of that offer "are fair, balanced and competitive for our community hospitals' 351 nurses," he said.
The union has said nurses "have been bargaining in good faith the entire time, trying to reach an agreement that ensures safe patient care and quality RN working conditions. Nurses are also seeking quality affordable health insurance, but Baystate has refused to bargain in good faith over these core issues."
On Monday, Baystate Health encouraged unionized nurses to ratify the system's offers at Baystate Franklin and Baystate Noble "so we can move forward and continue to provide the best care for our patients and their families."