Massachusetts' Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Union Negotiations Come to Halt as Merger Looms

Contract negotiations between nurses at Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, Mass., and hospital administrators came to a halt last week as both sides were unable to agree on terms for nurses' retirement benefits as well as the inclusion of a successor clause, which would maintain contract terms in case of a merger, according to a The Republican report.


Cooley Dickinson is currently considering a partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanguard Health Systems, which has a growing presence in the Boston market.

The nurses, who are represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, picketed outside the hospital last week over the impasse. The hospital has agreed to a successor clause but only if the nurses agree to a new retirement plan in which the hospital would match nurses' contributions going forward. The nurses are currently enrolled in a defined benefit plan, according to the report.

Both sides have agreed to meet with a federal mediator in attempt to hammer out a deal.

Related Articles on Cooley Dickinson Hospital:

Massachusetts' Cooley Dickinson Hospital Considers Vanguard, Mass General as Potential Partners
Massachusetts' Cooley Dickinson Hospital to Partner With Larger Hospital

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